March 8, 1929 - August 12, 1999
In Memoriam ~
Hey Dad! Soooo - it's been a while now - but this is a good year to fill you in since the last time. Besides your 5 grandkids, there are currently 8 greats - and Kelly and Maria (you'd love her) are going to be grandparents again before the year's out! In addition, I'm going to be a Grandmother-in-Law. Let the family tree grow!
I've tackled the overwhelming job of sorting through all the photos and documents that Mom cherished. Thing is - I've started an album entitled "Not Dad." I can't even tell you how many photos there are of Mom in her days before you...with different guys. Honestly, there are some real hunks in the photos, and even you met the '49er. But my spin on the sheer volume alone is that you were her true love - her person.
The story of how you met is a family favourite; especially how you told your cousin within an hour of your first glimpse of the San Francisco belle at the Vancouver train station, "That's the girl I'm going to marry!" But NOW I have evidence that the fateful day was December 24, 1955 at 2:00 pm (also Mom's birthday). I'd always assumed you met a few days previous to that, because even you told us, everyone in the house went to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass and celebration with your mother's Cates family in North Vancouver, leaving the two of you completely alone for the evening. I remember the exchange of sly smiles between you as the story was told over the years, but now - I really get it! Hard to imagine your parents hooking up the first day they met - ewww Dad...
Anyway, I'm ending with this photo to remind you of her love - and for me, this is 'gonna be the final photo in the aforementioned album, simply captioned as:
"Dad. He wasn't her first kiss, but he was the first kiss that mattered - the first kiss with someone who mattered to her..." Love, always and forever, Candy-Lea, Kelly and the rest of your family