Dad's "would be" 96th!!!

My dad's birthday was today and he would be 96 years old...he died at 85 in the year 2001...a few weeks after my mom who actually died eleven years ago on his birthday.

My Dad was a tree arborist and followed in his Father's footsteps in the tree business and. His dad founded it on his own in 1910 in Cleveland Ohio and it was and still is called The Forest City Tree Protection Company. My younger brother now runs it in South Euclid Ohio.

I loved being in a family of arborists learning at a young age the value of trees to our world and to mine. My dad bought my mom a tree once on Mother's Day...very cool and for me one year five big loads of top soil!!! I loved that. Besides trees, Dad loved mom, his four kids, golf and more golf, the Cleveland Indians, taking photos of signs and taking movies. I used to love the family movies he had taken:)... When he took our pictures as kids he would bring out the big glaring lamps that made you squint....not so good.

I miss you Dad ...I celebrate you today! Here in these pictures he is shown as a grade schooler, as a little tike and in his WWII army uniform..he was drafted and served mostly in France.