Joan here...A tribute to my dad Jake

Father's Day is a day for us to celebrate everyday but I take the official calendar Father's Day just as a gentle reminder for all of us to give thanks to our Father. First above all, to give thanks to our Heavenly Father and then of course to our earthly Father!

I no longer have my father living. He passed away within 2 weeks of being diagnosed with cancer 18 years ago but it all seems like yesterday. Every year Rick and I go to visit his grave and sit there and have a beer (my dad's favorite) and talk all about him. Rick never met him in person but says he really feels like he knows him because of all our talks about him.

I can only remember a bunch of the little things. Like the year when he won the raffle at my school Christmas concert...which means he did come to one of them. The year he told me if I ranked first in my class after moving to a new school only months earlier that I would get a bike...which I did get one by the way. Who says bribery doesn't work!

I remember him taking me alone to look at the new house we were moving to in Winnipeg and peeking through the window to show me my new room.

I don't remember him ever yelling at me or being mean to me when I did wrong.

I remember him making home made fries each Sunday for all of us kids. He would let us eat till we couldn't eat anymore of them! He would get really creative and make us bq and ketchup fries to our delight.

I remember the year he and mom came back from their trip to Hawaii. We must of watched the slides they took of their trip a zillion times. He would put on his Hawaiian shirt and then start the projector. He said he figured Hawaii was the closest thing to heaven here on earth!

I had the privilege of working with him in his business for a few years when I was older and had the opportunity to see how incredibly smart he was at what he did.

I always have had the impression with me that he felt he needed to take care of his parents. My dad was one of 16 children in his family.

My dad could fix anything. He taught me never to force or jam things. He said if a man built the thing then a man could fix it!

He taught me to clean up and put things away after use.

When donating to a cause he would never take a receipt. He said giving was giving!

Many people owed him money till the day he died but I never heard him speak evil of them.

Most of my memories of my dad, when I think of it, were when I was younger. I guess when I got older I was too busy with my own children and work.

To me, my dad was one of the smartest men in the world. He always made me feel like I was smart also and that I could do anything I wanted to do.

He never told me that he was proud of me but I always knew he was.

He always treated me like a lady and never talked down to me. He made me feel safe.

He was so proud when his first grandchild was born that he insisted that we named him Jacob Robert instead of the intended Robert Jacob! It must of taken me months after naming our first born Jacob to actually use that old name on such a little baby! Hince to this day my family still tries to call him Jakey...I am so very proud and happy that we have a son named after his grandfather (Jacob) and great grandfather (Robert)!

Reality is I know that my dad was not perfect...but he was perfect for me! I really love him and miss him very much!

I so wish Dad you could have met Rick. Rick's kindness and gentleness as a man has always reminded me of you! Where I go... dad you go ...you will always live in my heart forever!!!