He helped to bring me into this world, and take good care of me.
He helped to teach me to read Dr. Seuss books.
He got me an electric train set for Christmas, and helped me to set it up. Choo! Choo!
He took me to get my first haircut, at the Leaside Mall in Toronto. It was way too short!
He taught me how to ride a bike, and how to fly a kite, in Thorncliffe Park, Toronto, Ontario.
He invited me to relax, swinging in his hammock, on our balcony in Toronto, Ontario.
He took me tobogganing in Thorncliffe Park, Toronto, Ontario. It was a thrilling ride.
He took us all to Expo 1967, in Montreal. Quebec.
He took me to get a beagle puppy, in Chatham Ontario, when I was in grade 3. His name was Snoopy.
He took me to the YMCA in Chatham, Ontario, for guitar lessons, and judo lessons.
He took us to Dairy Queen for banana splits, as a reward, after raking up all of the leaves in the yard in the fall.
He taught me how to properly crank up and set up our Apache tent trailer.
He took us camping, all over Ontario, often to the Pinery Provincial Park, and Bon Echo Provincial Park
He put me in charge of chopping up wood, stacking the wood, and lighting the campfire.
He made thought-provoking conversation around the campfire at night, and pointed out the big dipper and the little dipper constellations.
He often took me out fishing, but we seldom caught fish.
He would gather the family on Sunday evenings to watch old TV shows, like Jackie Gleason, Rowan and Martin, Glenn Campbell, Flip Wilson, and Sonny and Cher.
He bought our first family home on Summerhayes Crescent, in Wyndam Hills, in Brantford Ontario.
He would take us out in the old white Ford, to pick out a Christmas tree, shove it in the trunk, drive it home, and fiddle with setting it up in a stand, in the living room.
He helped to provide his sons with a lot of toys under the Christmas tree at holiday time.
He would serve a small glass of white wine, for his boys to help make our Christmas dinner, a little more festive and special.
He took me out to buy all of the hockey equipment I needed, necessary to play minor-league hockey, and drove me to all the practices and games.
He took us all out for festive meals at the International Villages Festival in Brantford, and Leisure Lodge, in Kitchener.
He would play catch with me outside in the yard, and drive me to all of my little league baseball games.
He took us all out in the car on Sunday evenings, to pick up a hot bucket of KFC to take home for dinner.
He would drive me to my Cub Scout meetings on school nights.
He took me out in the backyard one time, to teach me to shoot his 22 caliber rifle.
He helped me to win my grade 8 science fair on the subject of gravity.
He took his boys to Toronto, to Maple Leaf Gardens, to go to Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games.
He asked me to assist him to build the wood decking structure to surround our new in-ground pool.
He would give us kids rides in the wagon, pulled behind our lawn tractor.
He taught me how to operate our riding lawn mower, which afterward of course, came with the responsibility to cut the grass.
He took us all to Barbados, and drove us all around the island in a Sun Moke Jeep.
He took us to Florida, to enjoy the sunny gulf coast beaches, and to get seasick on a fishing excursion, and to naturally visit Walt Disney World.
He shared his immense collection of National Geographic magazines, which was an amazing encyclopedia reference, to help with countless school projects.
He gave me his old, battered leather briefcase, that he had used to travel around the world with, during the 1960s.
He was always very supportive of my creative abilities, and drawing and draftsmanship.
He encouraged me to learn to play golf, and he got me a summer membership at the Northridge Golf Club in Brantford.
He would routinely take us boys out to pick up our takeout dinner from McDonald’s, on Friday nights in Brantford.
He encouraged me to get my very first job, at the Trading Post German Restaurant, in Paris, Ontario.
He helped me to buy a used MGB convertible sports car, where in theory, we were to split the cost.
He encouraged me by example, to value books, and to be well read.
He encouraged me to appreciate good movies, and he would often ask me to watch some of his favourite movies with him,
on Saturday evenings, on TV Ontario, Saturday Night at the Movies, with Elwy Yost.
He tried to keep his three boys living together after the separation of his marriage, and deal with family life, as best as he could.
He would drive us all up to Ottawa Ontario, to enjoy our Christmases, at his sisters home in Ottawa, where our aunt Marjorie would spoil us with turkey dinners with all the trimmings, and home baked pies and cookies.
He would always encourage me to vote at election time, and to seriously consider political issues.
He encouraged me to prepare for, and apply for university, and he helped me financially to attend university in Ottawa, Canada.
In the summertime, he loved to barbecue delicious meals on his hibachi, like juicy burgers, chicken breasts, and shish-kebabs.
He would sometimes invite me to have a brew with him, at home with him in Brantford, or when he would come to visit me in Toronto, at the horseshoe Tavern, or on the Danforth.
He would often personally greet me saying, "how's it going Pal".
He would sometimes hug me, and tell me he loved me, including the last time I saw him.