Because it’s Father’s Day, and because many of the people who worked for my dad called him “Dads”, here’s a post about “Dad at Work”. He had other names, too:

These slips of paper were given to him at his Retirement Party. They are a collection of things people said around the office, the job sites, and in the trucks. These are interspersed below with some pics of the pools he built:

I don’t know who John is.

They had lots of fun at work. My dad was a good boss. He cared about people.

Beautiful:

Also beautiful:

Throwback:

Finally:

I think Dad retired 20 years ago. I remember the party they threw him. He was glad to retire but I think a little sad to say goodbye. He visited with people around town though. Several were at the service when he died. As were people from back in his previous business back in the seventies, Eleazars. It was a Rock n Roll palace, bringing up a generation of future rehab attendees. Again, lots of fun! People loved working for him. But he was happy to sell that place, too. He played golf for years after retirement but then had heart problems and type two diabetes and eventually had to stop playing golf all together because his feet would get blisters and wouldn’t heal. He also had COPD and hypertension. But he was never bedbound or in a nursing home or old folks home, something he would have hated. He wanted to go out super fast and Covid seemed to do the trick. Covid triggered the heart attack and then the stroke. He was breathing fine during the whole ordeal and only spent a day or two in the ICU.

Well this has been my first Father’s Day without having a Dad. I think about him constantly. Everyday. I miss him terribly but have lots of memories to cherish. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Dad went to overnight camp when he was maybe 8 or so. I don’t know where it was. Tried to Google it but not much luck.

In the dining hall:

That’s all I have from camp but here are more from his home:

A few random shots:

That’s it for now!

My dad, Thomas Blake Day, liked to read and learn about the Civil War. He had tons of books which still populate his man cave. We still have to try to auction them on eBay. Next project!

He came to my second grade classroom to share what he knew with my kiddos.

The kids loved the pictures.

They were delighted to have a visitor to the classroom.

I was very proud to show my dad to the students.

I didn’t take pictures often in the classroom at the time.

I still remember these kids though I don’t recall their names.

Some of their questions were more about him than about the Civil War. Very understandable. Probably a little surprising to my dad though.

 

More clips of my father, Thomas Blake Day (July 9,1937 – May 24, 2023) when he was little.

Dad with grandmother and great aunt and playing with his push cart with his brothers

Dad swimming at beach, playing, fooling around.  Whole family at the beach and out on boat.

Uncle Bob and Dick at Military Academy:

Mamine playing badminton.  My greatgrandfather swimming in ocean.  Dad as a toddler at the beach.

 

Tommy, Bob, and Dick play at beach together and rides on dad’s shoulders:

 

Tom at parade with family:

 

Possibly at camp Half Moon, Tom’s brothers do jumps and sprints.They also pose with their parents. Tommy runs around at very end.

 

Tom plays with dog, spins in circles, does somersaults, drinks from cup, swims at beach with brothers and mother, rides tricycle with brothers at home. Can see his nursemaid at 1:49:

 

Walking with parents and feeding pigeons.Tom at very end (not at boardwalk):

 

Family (and friends?) outdoors (at home?) sledding. Tom’s dad lifts him up at the end:

 

Family outdoors at home on a cold day. It’s dark at hard to see what they’re doing much of the time:

 

A trip in the car to a place called Fountain of Youth. Is it in Florida? There are sometimes palm trees but not in every frame so not sure.

 

Toddler Tommy walking on a cold day and later on a warmer day. Hair looks blonde. He’s waving and clapping. Dick is raking leaves. Dog is with them:

 

Mamine swimming in pool. View of the car ride. Papa parading his manly chest on the beach. No scenes with Tommy.

 

Mamine putting on lotion. Papa running. Another family is with them. No sign of little Tommy. Left up north with Aunt Faye in NJ?

 

Toddler Tommy playing on a fallen tree. (It’s kind of dark). Family are walking around the neighborhood. Aunt Faye is there. Tommy’s dad carries him. There’s a dog. Grandparents? Then there is snow scene with brother Dick.

 

Tom plays with ball on a warm day. Some man is holding Tom’s hand as he walks on sidewalk:

 

I love looking at these old home movies, partly to see my dad as a kid (and other family members who are now gone) but also to see both how life was different back then and how life has stayed the same. 🌸