I Miss You, Papa

That's my mom, Ruth and my dad, Jerry.  Mom's got her granddaughter Cee, and her own daughter Jane, and Daddy's got his grandson Bobby, and ME!  Look at that gleeful smile on my face; I loved my pop so much.


Daddy was born in 1906, in Los Angeles, California, a member of a very old Spanish Californiano family.  He was 34 when he married my mom, who was 18 at the time.  It seems strange, but it worked out well for all of us, even with that 16 year age difference.  I think it took Daddy many years of sowing those 'oats' to know when it was time to settle down.  He told me once that he'd better be the first to go, because he knew he could never live without my mom.

Here's a picture I think we took  before I moved out here to Arizona in 1985.  From Left to Right:  Cecilia Charlotte, Auntie leaning on ME, Pico, Jane, my oldest brother, Pete, then Daddy, who's corralling Wendy.  Jerry Edward, Mom and Sam (actually Martha Lorraine) round out this gang.  I'm cracking up because Dad's wearing a hockey T-shirt.  Dad didn't know hockey from Jai Alai.  I'm guessing he got that shirt from Nancy. :D


Dad died in November of 1991 at the ripe old age of 85.  I truly believe his children, and being involved in our lives are what kept him going.  Daddy was 52 when I was born; Jane came when he was 57, and Wendy arrived right after Dad's 60th birthday.  Most of our siblings were already off raising their own families, hence the top picture wherein Mom has a granddaughter and a daughter of the same age. :D  And they all did it again when Wendy was born.  


So, Daddy did get his wish and left the earth before Mom.  But Mom also made it, sixteen years later, to 85.  


I love you both, and miss you terribly, and Auntie, too.