Lately my journey has taken me way down memory lane, and not necessarily my memories but those held dear by others.
My Father loved music. He was a musician in the core of his being and though I grew up in our home, somehow who he was as a person brushed by me in the midst of life in a tumultuous household of five children.
Below he is on the bottom left with the Saxophone, and he was about 17 or 18 years of age. I recently discovered that his mother scraped enough money together at the height of the Depression Era to buy my dad his first saxophone and a career was born.
I wish I had known her better as well. He actually began studying clarinet in the classical vein when he was twelve and played with Gliddons Concert Band, but the sax was his love. Tenor sax I believe. Also my Grandmother Crary used to let all the band come and jam in her living room, and I'm told there were crowds outside on the sidewalk enjoying the entertainment.
I am so impressed with that little lady and hope to hear her story some fine day in Eternity.
My dad became a well known celebrity and radio personality with all the 'glam' that goes with the way the world presents it's beautiful people.
As the years rolled by , and the price he paid for fame began to take it's toll on his body , life changed for everyone in our family.
His frail body was assaulted with the destruction of kidney disease and so my dad became the first person in Ontario to have his very own kidney dialysis machine in our home.
First my mom, and then my brother in law were the ones trained professionally then willingly took on the responsibility for 'keeping him alive'.
I can't imagine what must have been in his heart to come to dependence upon those he loved to serve him in such a huge way. I'm sure his gentle heart was humbled.
This was my little sister Dar. I just love the smile on daddys' face. This process cleansed his blood so that he could go out and work and do what he loved most to do, with the exception of playing his beloved saxophone. He no longer had the strength required.
He also had a Sunday morning radio program and played mostly Big Band Music, though once I convinced him to play 'You Light Up My Life' by Debbie Boone for me .He also hosted charity events like the Easter Seals Timmy Show where he got to dress up real pretty !
In the early seventies, when the Wind of the Holy Spirit began to move across the land my dad met Jesus at a Kathrine Kuhlman meeting. He so loved the Lord ! Little did we know he was being prepared to meet his Savior sooner than later.
In the meantime he was much more than a silent witness. On Jan.2, 1978, my 32nd.birthday actually, dad left to go to Kingston. He was now needing three times a week dialysis and the hospital in Kingston was where he had to go to get it.
This last picture was taken as he was out the door. Jesus whispered to my heart during that hug that this would be the last time we would hold each other until heaven.
He took flight for Eternity a mere seven weeks later.
My dad gave me my name. Nancy, after a then very popular song by Frank Sinatra 'Nancy with the Laughing Face'and I'm told he used to sing that to me when I was just a wee infant.
(Hmmmmmm....don't know if I've lived up to that one.)
I have loved rediscovering my dad these last few weeks and am grateful to everyone who has helped me in my journey. You know who you are. Thanks so very much.
