Today is my father's birthday. Guy John Faulkner Dobell.
This is my favourite picture of him.
He was born in 1908, in Brecon, which is on the border of England and Wales.
He left England in his early 20's and tried homesteading in Manitoba. When that didn't work, he rode the rails to Vancouver in a successful search for employment. He went to work for Courtauld's, and was transferred to Cornwall, Ontario. There, he met my mother. They married in 1936 and went to England the next year.
He spent WWII in the Royal Air Force, stationed in India and Burma.
We moved to Canada in 1957. There was a mini-recession going on at that time, Courtauld's wasn't hiring, even an employee fresh from England, and there followed several years of financial struggle, until Dad found his niche. By 1967, his life was once again on track.
Mom died in 1977, and Dad married my wonderful stepmom the following year. They traveled extensively, to England, Europe, and the Far East. He loved gardening, and grew prize-winning dahlias and vegetables.
He died in 1995.
He had character. He taught me that character is what you do when nobody is looking. He had a sense of humour. He had class.
I miss my dad.
That's a great picture! Sounds like you had a great father, and he lives on in your memory and your life. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful memorial, Ronni. He sounds like he was a wonderful father. This is my favorite part as my mother has taught me much the same...
ReplyDeleteHe taught me that character is what you do when nobody is looking.
What a nice memorial for your Dad! It's nice to have good memories like that.
ReplyDeleteWe had our ups and downs, but I always looked up to him, even when dissing his taste in clothes.
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