From His Daughter, Lauren

I want to thank you all for coming here to remember my father. No words could do justice to what an incredible man he was and how much he meant to so many people, but I’ll try my best to share what’s in my heart.

My father was the strongest person I have ever met or will ever meet in my lifetime. He was an extremely talented and hard-working finish carpenter who created gorgeous work. There were a few things that he was really meticulous about: one being his work and another was his commitment to his health. Although cancer ultimately claimed his body, he fought until the very end to stay as well as he possibly could. His bravery and positivity in the most difficult of times was inspiring and truly a testament to his strength.

I can remember moments from my time with him, especially from my childhood, that will stay with me forever. When I was really young and living in the house that he built in Tyngsborough, there were countless times that he would sing me to sleep. I can literally remember sitting on his lap as he sang until my eyes shut and head fell against his chest. I can also remember when he would play music loudly in our living room, sweeping me off the floor to dance with him.

One of my favorite memories with him was when he taught me how to hold my breath underwater after I learned how to swim. I was scared out of my mind, so whenever he took me to the pool when we were living in Chelmsford, he would help me. He would sit on the edge of the pool in the deep end and have me swim over to him. I would hold onto his feet and try my best to stay underwater. It definitely took me some tries, but eventually he was able to let me go on my own.

I feel so fortunate to have had a father like him, and it makes me truly happy that so many people also loved him and have been touched by his life. I know that his memory will stay with me and with everyone who loved him. I personally hope that I continue to make him proud, and I thank him for being such a great father. We always used to hold each other’s hands and then squeeze three times for “I love you,” so I’m going to close by giving him three hand squeezes and adding forever to the end.