crushedSome called him Ron. Some called him Bill. Some called him Ronnie. One called him brother. A few called him uncle. Many called him cousin. Many called him friend. But I called him Dad.
He was all of these... Husband, Father, Brother, Grandfather, Uncle, and cousin.
He was many things: Electrician by trade. He was also a certified welder. He was an Artist by nature. Around the house he was a carpenter, plumber, gardener and cook just to name a few.
My father had many things he loved. Number one was my Mother - Glenda his wife of 47 years. He stood beside her and took care of her when she was sick. They traveled together and loved cruising. He just recently took her on a cruise to Hawaii. They had a wonderful time.
He was very proud of his grandchildren John and Justin. He was so impressed that Justin had joined the Navy.
My father was an avid shooter. He loved to trap shoot. Every aspect of trap shooting. He loaded his own shells. Cast his own bullets. He usually brought home a prize. He was President of Folsom Gun Club. He helped train boy scouts on gun safety. My father was a certified NRA handgun instructor.
My father was a tinkerer. He loved to build things. He built radios, misc parts for cars, he even crafted a buck knife out of an old file.
My father was an artist. He could draw and paint. He did some of the most wonderful charcoal sketches.
My father also was fascinated by family history. He spent many hours researching the Johnson and the Nettle family tree. He traveled around to different cemeteries gathering information to add to the family tree. He scanned photographs and shared them with other family members. He even shared some with the Dixon library. He was very excited that a picture he provided was available on the Dixon library website.
Through the years my dad helped me with many things. From the little things like homework to bigger projects like building a soapbox derby car. He helped me with many of my cub scout projects and helped me make it through the boy scouts.
My dad was the person I called when I needed help figuring out what kind of hot water heater I needed. He and I ran the wiring for the hot tub in my back yard. He installed electrical outlets in my garage for me. Anytime I had a mechanical or electrical question, I'd call my dad.
My dad also loved the races. When I was young he loved the Speedway races. We attended them almost every week. Most recently he has been attending the races in Roseville. He loved to go spend time at the track.
I will always treasure the many things I learned from him. I'll probably never stop missing him. Dad I love you and always will love you.
