… I hit the jackpot.
As wonderful a father as mine was, my love and admiration for him goes far beyond his parenting skills, good as they were. It’s also about the man he was, what he taught me just by being who he was.
He was the guy everyone turned to when they had a problem or needed advice of any kind. And by everyone, I mean family, friends, employees, even my friends. They knew he’d be objective, he’d listen Continue reading
Yes, that’s me in the photo. With my dad, a very long time ago. Hard to believe I was
ever that tiny. Oh, how I adored him. We were extremely close, up to the day he died, 30 years ago. Hard to believe that, too — that it’s been so long. I still think of him every day and still miss him like crazy.
He was an amazing dad. For that matter, he was a pretty amazing human being. Kind, thoughtful, open-minded, generous, loving, loyal, honest as the day is long.
When I needed advice it was my father to whom I turned, always, even as an adult. His friends and my friends often turned to him as well, as did many members of our family. You could always count on him to be fair, objective and Continue reading
Today is my father’s birthday. He’d be 100. It’s hard to imagine. He’d died relatively young, by today’s standards. Two weeks shy of his 
seventy-fifth birthday. My mother was 65. Young to be a widow.
He was a libra, and definitely had the characteristics of his sign. He was urbane, sociable, elegant, kind, easygoing and extremely generous. He loved beautiful things, and had exquisite taste. And although he wasn’t demonstrably affectionate in public, he did have a romantic streak. He was the least judgmental person I’ve ever known, he had tons of integrity and was honourable to a fault. His word was more binding than any contract.
This is his engagement photo. He was thirty-one years old. People tell me I look like him. I think I do, although I have my mother’s colouring.
I had an incredibly close relationships with both of my parents, but my dad and I had a very special bond. From the first day I moved out on my own, to the day he died, I spoke to him everyday. Without fail. Even when I moved to Toronto, from Montreal. He and my mother would visit me in Toronto very often, but he used to come quite frequently on business; and we always saw each other when he was in town. We’d have dinner, or lunch, whatever he had time for.
And, because he was also so generous, he’d always tell me to invite friends or even colleagues to join
365 And Counting 