Thursday, March 19, 2009

dorky dad


4 comments:

  1. I have always loved this photo. Dad was a confirmed goofball... he loved to make funny faces and doing silly stuff. I also always found this funny simply because he didn't have the beard yet, which he had for my whole life.
    deb

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  2. this from mike kennedy:

    I really got to know Jerry in 1999.. It was a trip from Ohio to
    California. It's trivial to simply say that Jerry and I took a road
    trip together. To me it was one of those life-experiences that are
    always remembered. I suppose it was a special trip because Jerry and I had no concerns and no timetable. Why worry except to keep the van on the road, keep it running and plan the next meal stop. Keeping the old van running was not too bad. We did replace a fuel filter and had one flat. Not a big deal! This old Chevy van was a "gift" for the
    non-profit I was involved with. We just had to get it to California.
    Jerry had a rather zany view of life which made the trip full of fun.
    That's not news to anybody. He could talk to complete strangers and make an instant friend usually with some funny observation or joke. Of
    course, Jerry had his serious side. I learned how seriously he took
    environmental concerns and how we are so careless with our world. We had talks on politics, religion and our church. And I learned how much he loved Pacific Grove.
    We all know that Jerry loved funky places and we stopped at some outstanding examples. Great cafes with great local cuisine and if there was a cute waitress she was teased. Any waitress was teased! That was Jerry. Our tour included a visit to my home town in Ohio as well as a side trip to see Carol Layton at her seminary. In Missouri we saw Steve Durbin and also the Truman Library. In Nevada we even looked up the Garage where Jerry and Barbara had their VW Van worked on years ago. I heard all about that. Of course we had to stop in Reno and catch a
    show. We had prime seats for "Spirit of the Dance". We both loved the show.
    What a trip ! I won't forget the good times "Traveling with Jerry".

    That's my story and it's a pleasant memory,
    Mike Kennedy

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  3. this from ammi brooks:

    I am Jerry's former cousin-in-law. His cousin Bob's first wife.
    I don't think of Jerry without seeing him laughing his big hearty laugh.
    When Ellie and Larry were born and little they were the most
    photographed kids in Monterey! We would go over to his Del Monte
    Studio and have photos taken until they would fall asleep or start
    getting really crabby...Please Uncle Jerry enough!
    Having left his earthbound body I think "ol Jer" is finally laughing
    his hearty laugh again.

    Barb...It's a brand new life for you. It will feel very unnatural
    after so many years. And...you have so many years to get to know
    yourself as a person...not a wife or mother. It is an amazing
    adventure! I love you...and hope to see you in Portland for a walk.
    Ammi Brooks

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  4. My main memory of Jerry was the experience of his quiet tolerance for a gaggle of pre-teen or teen-aged girls jacked up on sugar during Deb's gingerbread parties...it takes a special kind of person to put up with that!

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