An amazing man, never to be forgotten

I think most of you know the news by now, but my dad passed away this morning around 1am. It has been a crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs and finally, after pneumonia attacked his lungs, his body gave up. We knew he didn't want to live like that anymore, he made that perfectly clear. But none of us were ready to say goodbye quite yet. We are having an autopsy done so we'll have some closure and hopefully know what really happened.

it happened very suddenly - nick, me and Samantha were driving to Florida for our yearly vacation (one that my parents treated us and was supposed to be the whole family, and couldn't come). My dad had been stable so we were going to aim for some R & R and take it one day at a time to see how he was doing. We got a call 3 hrs into our trip that he stopped breathing on his own, was on a respirator, and we needed to get home. We drove back to the airport, repacked, handed bailey off to great friends lauren and Kyle and boarded a plane. Samantha must have sensed our tension as she didn't sleep one wink!

upon arrival, we learned that my dad was staying alive, waiting for me to see him. nick and I arrived at his bedside, with him on a respirator and lots of IV fluids to keep him comfortable. I assured him it was okay to let go. All of his organs were failing and he couldn't do it anymore. My mom's friend Lynda sat by his bedside the entire time and he finally let go early in the morning. It was so painful to watch. We know he's in a better place free of doctors, needle sticks, IVs, and poor medical care.

There has been an outpouring of people who have called, emailed, and facebooked. it's unbelievable all the people who care. I knew what an amazing man my father was and see now how much he truly impacted other people. My dad was a genuine man who always put others first, always had a story to share, a smile on his face, and a word of wisdom to share. He'd write things in his black book to remember the little things that would make a person's day. He was an inspiring father and husband to my mom, a great travel companion, and a loving grandpop to his only granddaughter, Samantha. He loved his family more than life.

There's so much more to say, but we are all so sleep deprived that my pillow is calling. We've had vistors all day helping us get through these hard times. We have enough food to keep our bellys full for a few days!

my mom's ok at this moment... she's still in funeral planning mode and i don't think it's quite hit any of us for real.

We're having a memorial service on Thursday -
10-11 visitation
11-12 memorial service
These will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
61 E Route 70
Marlton, NJ 08053-1749

After, we will have a luncheon at Marco's at Indian Spring Country Club at
115 South Elmwood Rd., Marlton, NJ 08053

Thanks for everyone's prayers and well wishes. We know he heard them all and knows how much he will be missed.

We love you dad and will never forget you.

Kristi