Enjoy the ride, Dad
I was asked to give the toast for Oley’s funeral on Saturday. Here are my notes, marked up for speaking not writing…
An old proverb “Every end is a new beginning”…While I am sure it is not at *all* what the original author intended, how appropriate it is that we are all celebrating a life, and a bit sadly, recognizing one end, when tonight is also a beginning…
The beginning of NASCAR season in Daytona with the Budweiser shootout.
This day signals the day that Oley and I would begin our periodic conversations throughout the year of NASCAR news and notes. Catching each other up on the rumors or changes throughout Silly Season.
About 13 years ago, I was lucky enough to meet his daughter April. I soon discovered that because of life’s twists and turns, she had two sets of parents. Oh boy, *two* sets of in-laws. A few months later I was making a stop in San Diego, and April came down and we drove up to visit her dad and April. Despite the usual apprehension of meeting “her dad”, I soon discovered that Oley and I shared many an interest.
Thus began a relationship that was not nearly long enough. Even though the majority of the relationship occurred via the phone, well the phone was the perfect medium for a talker of Oley’s ability.
It culminated with the most amazing 7 hours of time with just he and I in the hospital saying more things to each other through a combination of voice, pictionary, gestures and emotion than we were ever able to with words. While I don’t wish to focus on those last moments, I can tell you I learned the most about what was inside in that man when I couldn’t understand him from the outside.
I am proud to say he just wasn’t a man I knew, a fellow sailor, my father-in-law or even a friend. He was Dad.
To the person you knew as Oley, Kent, or Dad
I only hope it did him justice.
