I was hoping that some of you might contribute a story or a remembrance of a man in your life that made a difference for you. I have several men in my life that have helped me to be a better man, my Dad, my brother and my brother-in-law Chuck. Today I would like to share with you a
little about Chuck. My sister Dorothy is twenty years older then me and Chuck was a few years older the her. They were already grown and beginning their family when I was just a kid. I had the opportunity to observe my brother-in-law through my teen years and I think that as much as anyone in my life he played a key role in shaping how I would one day develop as a father and as a man.
He was flawed and drove me crazy sometimes but I have never known a more dedicated father. He was an insurance executive for many years and his job demanded that he travel and entertain clients as well train and mentor agents. But these duties didn't seem to keep him from making it to music recitals or Little League games. His family was his priority. He was a good Catholic and instilled the virtues of a strong religious life in his kids. He spent time with his kids and with me as well and I appreciated the interest he took in my life as I was growing up. He was a positive male role model in my life and in the life of my niece and nephews.
As the years past Chuck hit a few ruts in the road and began to drink more then he should. This caused problems in his marriage and he and my sister divorced. I believe he was able to shake the drinking problem and put things back together. By this time I was living in another state and I lost touch with Chuck. One day I got the call that he was very sick and by the time I got a chance to arrange things to get down to California he was gone. At his funeral I said a few things about how much this good man had meant to me. It was there that I learned that during those years when we had lost touch, Chuck had moved to Sacramento and taken on a position with the Catholic Charities and had been very successful in raising money for the Church. I learned that his Sacramento memorial was expected to have several hundred people in attendance. This made me very proud of him but didn't surprise me. He was a good man.
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My Grandfather was one of those men, with whom you always knew where you stood. He was good to his word and from what I can remember always followed through. He could do just about anything, from eating the hottest pepper around, to fixing equipment, to cooking me breakfast. He could read right through me, no matter what the issue. Although I did not get to spend alot of time with him, the best times was riding around the ranch in New Mexico where he was the foreman. He would let me steer the old beat up Ford truck he drove. I loved going into the pastures to check on the cattle. Sometimes he let me drive the truck while he hoisted the hay off the end. He died doing what he loved best, working on the ranch, on a tractor. I often think he is guiding me from heaven. And, I often still look in the cab of old trucks hoping it is him.
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