Richard Pringle came into my life as a man my mom began to date.  I remember how he would come over to the flat we lived in and bring a carton of Squirt and a ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream.  This was quite the treat for my brothers, Keven, Mark, and me.  We rarely had a snack like that.  He introduced us to many things we never knew existed. Things like hockey, ice skating, and wrestling on the living room floor.  He could handle all three of us. There were times when mom would say that she thought he loved her kids more than her.  That wasn’t true of course. On October 4, 1963, Richard Pringle became my dad. At first, I was very jealous of him taking my mom away from me, but it wasn’t too long until he proved how much he loved and cared for mom and us.  It takes a special man to take on the responsibility of three children who were not his, but he did it without hesitation.

A few special memories of Dad:

When mom was in the hospital and had just given birth to Don, I had a 6^th grade concert that evening.  Somehow, someone got me to the concert.  The most important thing I remember, is I looked up and there standing in the back of the room was Dad smiling.  He didn’t have to be there but he was.  Proof he was my dad.

 

For the first year after the wedding, I called dad, Richard.  Sometimes it was with an attitude.  I was in the back seat with my two brothers when I heard Keven call him Richard.  At that moment, I was filled with conviction.  I should have been a better example to my brothers.  We stopped for gas, I think, and I got out of the car and called Richard, Dad.  His face was filled with emotion at that.  Proof he was my dad.

 

Dad was a hard worker.  He worked overtime a lot.  Then August would come, and he would be off the entire month.  There was no such thing as a staycation with my dad.  He made plans each year to take us many places to see many things.  The first year, I remember how he couldn’t wait for us to see the entire state of Michigan.  He loved Michigan.  He also took us all over the U.S.  We’ve been to almost every state and seen many things. We could only afford to do this because we camped.  Dad worked with canvas and made his own tents.  It was always an adventure every August.  He thought of us as he worked so that he could provide and take us places.  Proof he was my dad.

 

Dad loved my mom.  He cared for her as her mind began to slip away.  He was always conscious of being there for her.  It was his desire to outlive her so that he could care for her; he did just that.  There were many times in the last couple of years when he would tell me that marrying mom was the best thing he ever did.  He would reminisce about how he gained not only mom, but three more children as well.  Mom was a priority.  Proof he was my dad.

 

Dad loved kids.  We know he loved us, but he loved all children.  When he had grandchildren, he was very happy to hold them and spoil them.  He loved the kids next door, down the street, and across the street from him.  One of the hallucinations Dad was having at the end was that of kids.  He was always giving them candy and smiling at them even though they weren’t really there.  There would be candy on the floor where he had dropped it thinking he dropped it in their hands.

 

Dad lived a long time.  94 years old is nothing to take for granted.  What did this man leave behind?  He left behind neighbors who will miss seeing him on the front porch swing. He left behind people who are the children and grandchildren of those for whom he put up an awning in years past.  He left behind a family who loved him dearly.  This family loved him so much, they were willing to come from Colorado, Texas, Pennsylvania and Tennessee to honor him.  Some were willing to come and care for him to give Don and I a break.  This family he leaves behind loved him well and will continue to remember him in the years to come.  We will all speak of him in fondly to the generations after us.  And this is the real proof that he was my dad.