Saturday, July 27, 2019
Hank loved kids. I look at pictures of Hank and his grand-daughter Bret and in everyone they were smiling. Whether she was pulling his beard, riding on his scooter, squeezing oranges from his tree, or selling parking at the Indy 500, there was always a laugh to share.
Hank loved his food. He was a picky eater, but he knew what he liked. I remember going to a Mexican restaurant with him one time; not his favorite I quickly learned. When the food arrived he said in no uncertain terms, “I ain’t gonna eat that crap!” He didn’t have a filter when he spoke.
Hank loved making candy for gifts each Christmas, peach cobbler from fruit off his trees, and his fish fry’s in Flagstaff were legendary. Hank loved to make biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I remember one time arriving at his home in Arizona after midnight with plans on sleeping in. Hank had other plans. He was up at the crack of dawn making breakfast and woke up the entire house. He said “you’re burning daylight”, but the biscuits and gravy were worth waking up for. Thankfully among other things, he passed on his Christmas candy tradition and biscuits and gravy making skills to his son Frank.
Hank loved his large family and called many of them on the phone every Saturday morning. I know Hank considered family a gift. I felt privileged and blessed to be part of his family and to be able to call him my father-in-law. I will be eternally grateful that he trusted me with his most precious gift of all, his daughter Joan.
Hank I am going to miss you, but will cherish the memories. Hope the Fishing is good!
