Dad was special in many ways. To me the most important is that he is the man who guided my husband into the man he became. Ricky has always had the utmost respect for his father, as a man, a Marine, and a person. When Ricky was a young boy he and his friends had a club, The Marines. I know that it was a young boy looking at his broad shouldered dad in awe. Here was a man who loved him and Bob, as well as a man who adored his own parents Lucille and Bill. He was a great accordion player who jammed along his mom, Lucy, a mean piano player; she often seemed to grow impatient when Robert took over the piano or organ because I think she felt that her fingers moved faster and she was always anxious to take back the keyboard. They were accompanied by his brother, Bill, on harmonica, and his sister-in-law, Aunt Jeri, and family in voice. Nothing made it more complete then when his sister, June, and family would also join the crowd in song. They had great parties with all of the relatives including the Carlsons(Scannells,Waczaks,), Bobbs, Edlunds, and many lifelong B. I. friends. How lucky he was when he met the love of his life, Elizabeth, also from a musically gifted & loving family. She is a beautifully spirited woman, who although mother to four of her own children, opened her heart to Jake's family. She brought joy to his heart and having met this "younger" woman he asked me if I thought he should pursue this relationship. While I may not have been the deciding factor, as how could he resist her, I still like to take credit that I gave him that resounding yes! Something so dear to his heart was his service in the Marine Corps. My father, a Navy man, teased him once that Navy men were better and I thought I might have to intervene when dad's eyes flashed with a bit of anger. You don't joke with Marines! It seems God chose you,dad, to guide our new granddaughter, Madeline, as she joined this wonderful family on the day you passed.
