Questions for Mom about Dad
I believe it was David that started an email stream discussing some of Dad’s favorite things. Mom writes …
“Dear Dave,
I hope I’ve answered to your satisfaction. I had to do some real thinking in order to be as accurate as possible.”
September 2008
What were Dad’s Favorites?
MOVIE - “Casablanca” or “Laura”
SONG -“Always”
MUSIC GROUP or SOLO ARTIST - Ann Murray
PERFORMER - Henry Fonda
TV SHOWS (besides Hogan’s Heroes) - Little House on the Prairie
ACTOR - ?
ACTRESS - Gene Tierney
COLOR - green
NUMBER - 36
BASEBALL PLAYER / TEAM - Shortstop / AHS
BASKETBALL PLAYER / TEAM - Forward / AHS
FOOTBALL PLAYER / TEAM - Quarterback / AHS & Assumption
TRIP - Eleuthera
VACATION - “
THINKING SPOT - Den
QUOTE - “Comin down the home stretch”
LESSON LEARNED - To take better care of health
BOARD GAME - chess
CARD GAME - poker
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - Piano - NO!
BOOK - HAWAII - all of the Michener's
COMEDIAN - Flip Wilson
FOOD / MEAL - He liked everything
CANDY (besides peanut brittle) - fireballs
POLITICIAN / PRESIDENT - John Kennedy
SPORTING EVENT - Masters - but basketball was close
TOY AS A CHILD - baseball
BRAND OF GOLF BALL - titleist
GOLFER (besides Arnie) - Jack
COLOGNE / AFTERSHAVE / DEODORANT - Old Spice
HOBBY (outside of gardening) - Oil painting
CLOTHES - Corduroy pants and buckskin shoes
BREAKFAST MEAL - Oatmeal, toast, orange juice and coffee
SANDWICH - Bologna and cheese
SOFT DRINK - coke
RESTAURANT - “Locastro’s” or “Balloons”
More Questions:
Did Dad discuss the birds and bees with all the children, or just the boys? At what age was such discussion held? Why was I skipped?
My suggestions to this one is do it early (like now). I simply don’t know. I took care of the girls.
Can you recall a moment when Dad cried? When and what was the occasion?
Yes, several - when his father died.
Who cut Dad’s hair?
His Uncle Bill Bergan who owned a barber shop under the Auburn Savings Bank.
What was Dad’s approach to his little girls? When were they allow to take a call from a boy and at what age were they allowed to date?
They could always take a call but no dating until high school and then with parental approval.
Why did Dad go to Canada / Assumption?
Many of his friends went there and acceptance in college was competitive with all the vets returning.
Why did Dad join the Marines:
He had great admiration for marines (Ted Williams) and wanted officer rank.
Why was Dad asked to leave SU?
He wasn’t asked, he was told. He and Ted and Al Bouley had too much fun and flunked out.
Was Dad ever a paperboy? What were some of his other jobs prior to Red Star?
Worked for the city (public works like you) worked for construction (during college) and then to the service before Red Star.
What were some of the things that aggravated Dad?
Lying, cheating, arguing, laziness
What characteristics did he despise?
Above - including tattle tale
Where did he want to retire to?
To a warm place where he could walk the beach.
Was Dad a morning person or a night person?
Mornings during the week; nights on weekends and vacations
What were Dad’s shoe size, height and weight?
9 and ½ shoe / 5’ 10” / 165 lbs
Did Dad have any pets as a boy? Wasn’t there a bull dog in the picture?
Beloved “Biggsy” who had to be put away when he was in the service.
What did Dad want to be when he was a little boy?
A major league baseball player
What was his favorite season?
Summer or any time he could play golf
Did Dad have any fears?
His biggest fear in late years was becoming dependent on others.
Why did Dad wear fedoras? Did he have any other unusual dressing practices?
He wore hats for warmth and fedoras were quite fashionable for men in the 60 and 70’s. I don’t remember his stopping but if so, it's probably because there were going out of style. His dressing was quite traditional. He loved nice clothes and wore them well. Maybe you might remember something nontraditional - his patch pants.
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