Make wonderful memories this Happy Father's Day: Recollecting on my favorite collector

My Dad and I, ready for our next photo op

I started the first half of this blog back in June of 2016. I'm thinking that family, dogs, houses, job-thing might have interfered with finishing it.  As I was recently "cataloguing" some of my blog stories, I found this draft and, this weekend, I felt it was time to complete it - remembering my truly wonderful Dad.

A month after Mother's Day, we all get a chance to take time and honor the other side of the parenting team, our Dads.  Although my father has been gone for over forty years, I think of him often and usually with a smile on my face. He was funny and fun to be with.  Growing up in small town in the upper peninsula, he maintained that friendly, at-ease manner that's natural in a place where no one's a stranger. He carried that endearing trait with him to Chicago and Detroit, the latter where he eventually met my Mom and settled in.

Sharing the stage with my older brothers

On Mother's Day, I wrote about my Mom and how even today, after she passed away in 2004, we're still connected by great memories and her expansive library that keeps unfolding new discoveries. I've found that same connection with my Dad, still linked by memories of  times past and a favorite pastime: collecting.

It's suiting that in between Mother's Day and Father's Day, I wrote about my visit to the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine. [May 13, 2016] The museum is an upscale hoarders paradise and Mr. Lightner believed everyone should have a hobby, - his was also collecting.  My Dad and I were similar in that respect, but my Dad's passions were mainly coins and stamps as opposed to tea cups, dolls, Wedgwood and (for better or worse) much more. 

Demitasse cups and saucers my Dad brought back from Japan

Although, there may be some overlap in the father/daughter collecting Venn Diagram with the tea cups. When my Dad was serving in the Philippines and Occupied Japan in World War II, he brought back a 12-piece demitasse cup and saucer set for my Grandmother.  Several years ago, it went from Grandma's dining room shelves to my house. They now reside proudly in my office bookshelf, showcased in perfect-sized cubbies.

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But, again, a little back story. . .

Although I was only twenty-two when my Dad passed away, if you were measuring quality vs quantity time, I got the former in droves.  He possessed a quick wit, a penchant for history and embraced nonsense with such a flair, he could entertain kids for hours, including his own:  me and my three older brothers, Bob, Glenn and Ed.

My Dad entertained us, but Easter photos were to be taken seriously

My Dad's goofiness was not camera shy.  He loved photo booths, and, in turn, so did I  - which back in the day, were housed in dime stores (geez, now I'm sounding old), not an accessory to a graduation party or wedding reception. When I was elementary school age, I'd accompany my Dad on trips to the store, and, if there was a photo booth on-site, it was never a question as to whether we'd pay a visit. Queue up that 25 cents!

My Dad, gold chains, sunglasses (sadly, poor 70's photo quality)

The photo ops continued at home as well. I remember when my oldest brother came home with a new-to-him convertible, my Dad met Bob at the driveway wearing sunglasses and a gold chain. Of course, the camera came out, too.

(So, okay, maybe, along with the "collector gene", I also got a little bit of the hammy DNA, too. . . , but to be fair, I think my brothers got some of the ham, as well)

We've all got a bit of the "hammy". My Dad labeled this, appropriately, "the clowns".

But, the one thing I remember most clearly is that I spent a lot of time with my Dad. Whether it was a quick trip to Kresge's or an afternoon at a coin show, I'd tag a long as his VIP guest.  As a kid, I took that for granted, as an adult, I'm grateful for all that was squeezed into what seems to be way too little time. 

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Now, back to the shared collecting pastime - as I wrote about my Mom's book collection still "speaking" to me, I find the same is true with my Dad's collections of stamps, coins and, most recently uncovered, royal souvenirs which was the topic of my February (2022) blog ". . .the other Anglophile in the family".  

My Dad, anglophile and philatelist

Now that I have turned in my nine-to-five corporate job for "tea and travel", I'm also enjoying using some of that spare time going through my Dad's collections, especially the royal stuff. Add that to the tea cups in the Venn Diagram overlap.  

Rob, Rachel, Matt and Chris, Father's Day, 2016

On this Father's Day, my husband, Chris, (also a super dad who can easily embrace the goofy)  and I will have our family over for dinner.  I'm also going to carve out some time to brew a pot of tea, browse through old collections and ridiculous photos, and remember my Dad, who was as outlandish - and priceless - as his gold chain accessories.