Tom

My earliest childhood hero other than Dad and Mike was Mickey Mantle. How ironic that Mick's "Favorite Year" was 1956. The day after the fireworks in 56 ended, God added number four to the Ringwood clan. Unbeknown to anyone at the time, the fireworks were just starting and would continue for many years to come. Like all of my siblings, given the time, I could stroll down memory lane for days, weeks and months reflecting on the good times and the bad times. Being part of this dynamic family has afforded me with experiences that few people have ever known.

Being somewhat lost in the middle. I was able to observe and learn from Nancy, Mike and Patty and "pave the way" for Jack, Teresa, Paul, Dave, Pete and the one that just made it Bob. Dad, Mom and Bernie will always be my greatest teachers.

My position in the family taught me "street smarts" at an early age. The keen ability to bob, weave, shake and bake with the best of them. were the gifts given to me from all of my family members. I took a little piece from everyone and "poof" there's Tom.

I know that "Tom" stories have been part of many dinner table discussions and that has always flattered me. However, there are many untold stories involving each of you that have impacted my life in one way or another. I guess the time has come share.

Bernie: "History"

Although my time in the NBA (National Bank of Auburn) was brief it did provide me with truly quality time with Bernie. I would drive the company truck home for lunch and spend the time just hanging out with Bernie. Yes. she had a nice lunch ready but I always passed on the prunes. We watched "As the World Turns" and really became pretty good buddies. Being close to Bernie was like living history itself. Her stories about watching Babe Ruth play baseball and seeing the Ku Klux Klan at the foot of the lake were alive and in color. As close friends. it was my duty to push Bernie to the edge once in a while. One particular story comes to mind. Early on a Sunday, Bernie, Teresa and I went off to mass in my little orange Datsun. The trip to Holy Family that morning was uneventful as was mass. On the way home, I was feeling frisky and decided that Bernie might feel safer if drove on the sidewalk. Well, up East Hill on the sidewalk we went. I thought for sure Teresa would wet her pants. Bernie didn't flinch.

Nancy: "Risk"

In her own way, Nancy Joan Ringwood was anything but the eldest and big sister. Yes, she was in a world of high fashion and excitement when I was watching from afar. Nancy taught me through her actions and independence that life was about taking risks. Sure, she would have been the first ever female hardball player in North America given the opportunity and how the hell did downhill skiing ever come into a family of ten. Back then new shoes were a luxury, now she is into skis, boots & poles. Downhill is not the way her life would pan out. Nancy accepted the challenge of getting me through the Algebra regent's exam and as always ... she succeeded. Thank God the theorem to prove was side/angle/side, it was the only one I knew. We celebrated over lunch across the street from Kalets. The culmination of Nancy's risk taking was recently realized when she became the first and to date the only Vice President in the Ringwood family. I see Nancy in my daughter Erin. To this day, I absolutely love her senior portrait.'

Mike: "Protector”

My little BIG brother has wrongfully carried the notion that he ignored and avoided me during our early years. It is so nice knowing that Mike is wrong!!! Who else walked the line with Mike in Milwaukee??? I can go back to Steel Street and the day Mike gave me a ride on his bike. He was more concerned with me getting my feet caught in the wheel than both of us falling off He would not let that happen. As we all know, Mike was one groovy dude in high school however I just thought he was cool. His wardrobe was what Dad would call "sharp" or "snazzy" and of course I couldn't wait for the hand-me-downs to come my way. Getting into those plaid wool pants and awesome sweaters was a dream come true. I was a trendsetter back then, wearing pants half way down my ass. Mike let me bring a green V neck sweater on my eighth grade class trip to Washington DC. While watching Boog Powell play for the Senators, Denny White squirted mustard on the sweater. He had officially crossed the Ringwood family line and a fist fight was scheduled behind Holy Family when we got back from the trip. Man did I get my head beat in!!! I remember like it was yesterday, Mike telling his fist of six little brothers that he was going to be a lawyer so he could take care of the family and drive a nice sports car. Counselor, the verdict is in ... chalk up another win.Dad and Mickey have gone to a better place but I am blessed to still have my hero Mike in my life.

Patty: "Diverse"

No single word can describe my relationship with our beautiful sister Patty. A few that come to mind are passionate, emotional and caring. My earliest connection with Patty revolved around a board on legs and a five pound hunk of heated metal. How the hell I was ever trusted to iron that beautiful blond hair is beyond me. In retrospect, using spray starch would have minimized the time in between sessions but I would have missed out on some incredible conversations.I remember in eight grade Patty telling me that when I got to High School that my friends & I would start to party. Isn't it ironic that every one of you got busted one time or another during those years except for me??? Patty received her artistic talent from Dad and her many works still amaze me. Her self-portrait is my all-time favorite. The two Patty's in the picture tell the story of her focus, beauty and resolve. I don' t know how many times I have proudly told the story of Patty not only making her wedding dress but the wedding bands to boot. Patty is old school and that is a quality that this world misses.
My number two big sister could party pretty dam good as observed on a number of occasions at the Ivanhoe after working at the Hollywood. We had some good times. My deepest feelings for Patty came welling up the day David Sheridan packed up his bride and drove away. My soul mate had moved on and I was left to watch over the cornfield.

Jack: "Tough"

John Leo Ringwood is the toughest son of a bitch in the family. Yes, there is his mental toughness but when pressed he could go right through a wall. Football in the side yard was anything but a picnic and I recall Jack just busting through people one winter day. We used that rubber football and he never let it squirt out. One early fall evening we had a game going in the side yard and there was a 6 foot 250 pound monster playing (where he came from I'll never know). He was running through all of us but Jack figured him out. Hit him low and he’ll go down. Jack did just that and I vaguely remember people pulling that monster off of my skinny body. Jack hit him & I felt like I did. If Jack isn't tough then explain how a kid with Leo for a middle name. a weak eye, unorthodox catching style, spread eagle bunting stance, tap shoes, basketball bowling shot and church vestments ever survived in a clan of ten let alone a small community??? Once during recess at Holy Family about eight of my classmates thought that Jack Ringwood was overdue for a "gacchi pull". I was on the basketball court and heard a great deal of commotion in the distance. There was Jack, smack in the middle of a circle of eighth graders. He held all of them off and by the time I got there his shirt was ripped but his underwear was still intact. My proudest memory of Jack' s athletic career was seeing him come off the far end of the bench, go coast to coast and "school" Darryl Freeman the CYO league's MVP. I lost it, scoop shot for two and a foul. Then there was the evening when a group of us were gathered at Bradford Street and somehow the topic of Chess came up. A game board appears out of nowhere and at center court, under the lights its Jack - vs- Marty Gardner. I put $10.00 on Jack to win. Two or three moves later, check mate and Jack loses. Not being all that excited about coughing up the ten spot, it was time to rally. No more chess, a hook shot from the deep comer. I dropped 10 in a row, no blood and Jack is still the most intelligent person I know. Jack comes back home from a year in England, loses his Dad and remains tough. Jack Ringwood is a very good and quality man.

Teresa: " Shield "
My youngest sister proved to be one of my closest allies and I always felt a need to watch out for her. I observed my two older sisters navigate their own way through life and wanted to make sure that Teresa was safe, happy and content. What a tall order that would prove to be. My beautiful little sister trapped in a back brace. I wanted to ditch that thing probably as much as she did. I knew that when Dad gave Teresa her own bag of Spanish peanuts that she was looking at a long and difficult road. However, she held her head high (no real choice) and prevailed. We then shifted gears into the wonderful world of boyfriends. Setting up Teresa Boyle Ringwood with a semi-friend of mine named Mike Knaus was not the best move a big brother ever made. The very first time he came to pick her up. he pulls in the driveway, sits there and honks the horn. We were in the den at the time; Dad stretched out in his recliner simply said ... "Don't move". I think I dragged Mike' s ass into the house for his very first lesson in etiquette. To this day, he is still a weird dude. Then there was good my buddy Dutch and that one went pretty good. The one that still burns me up is that Brown guy; he thought he was one cool cookie. Teresa and I had some fun at his expense one evening out at the Stockade. Teresa had his attention as I poured beer in the hood of his coat. He couldn't understand why Teresa was just laughing in his face. Long overdue, how to go girl!!! Walking Teresa down the aisle with Jack on her wedding day was truly an emotional rollercoaster. Jack and I thought we would need to carry her but she carried us. Teresa was confident, radiant and happy, my little sister was gone. Bill was the winner and a match made in heaven by Dad came down to earth. Terry True Heart never needed me shielding her she was quietly taking care of me. I miss our camping trips. She is resilient, focused and a success in all aspects of life. I truly love my sister Teresa. Haaar l!!

Paul: "Driven"

It sure would be nice if Paul Jr. didn't mix his words so often. The " namesake" left the trucking business due to an increasing number of big jerks. He was now free to pursue his life-long goal of becoming the first Ringwood millionaire. It has always amazed me that so many of those big jerks from the transportation industry are now in the medical field. They must follow Paul around and why not, he is a true leader. Here is a guy that got a second-rate college education and somehow still managed to succeed. Paul is man that is focused, determined, passionate, bull headed, soft, firm, loyal, generous, true and first - class all the way. Paul and I ran hard together and have some incredible stories that can never be shared. How we ever ended up in the Board of Directors meeting room at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium at half time of a Canisius game I'll never know. I still shake my head when I think about Paul's trip to Sea Isle City for a weekend of fun, sun and suds with the Canisius boys. He walked into our shore house and before he even drops his bags he proclaims in his quiet yet humble way that he would "Drink all of you Canisius girls under the table". I think he slept until 2 pm the next day. As we know, Paul has a pure and true zest for life and he lives it to the fullest. The inner Paul did not always match the outer Paul. He had his struggles and times of uncertainty. Everything came together when Mary Ellen walked into his life. Paul James Ringwood Jr. has kept up his end of the bargain and compliments of the name he was given. When we are down, feeling sad or just missing our Dad, the phone will ring and Paul is at the other end. He has the magic.

Dave: "Loyal"

To many of us, the first family pet was my good friend Prince. However, I was fortunate enough to have a puppy of my own long before our parents approved the addition of a dog to our family. His name is David Crawford Ringwood and he is perhaps the most loyal person I've ever known. For some unknown reason, Dave and I had that special connection. He was never very far from my side and I can still feel the warmth of those little boys' big eyes looking up at me. I will be forever grateful to David for making me feel worthwhile and for providing me with true purpose early in life. Dave and I were roommates, team mates in the side yard and the best of buddies. Dave was always welcomed in my crowd and he never let me down. I needed a catcher once for a ball game when I was the playground director at Benton Street. I called Dave, he got to the field before I did and was ready for duty. A collision play at the plate left him flat on his back. Dave sucked it up, told me he was fine and he walked home from the field down at Central High School. Days later, his broken rib was taken care of. There was the time I needed another player for a city league basketball game. I was at the community college so Dave would be running with the big boys. We had a total of six players including Dave and I had given blood earlier in the day and was a little wiped out. Dave did great, more than held his own and we won in triple OT. The love affair with the Green Bay Packers was never more evident with David crying near the end of the now famous "Ice Bowl" game against the Dallas Cowboys. The tears ended when Bart Starr scored on a quarterback sneak in the final seconds for a Packer victory. After the game we went to the living room and Dave dictated ... Dear Bart, I bet all my money on you ... to this day, no else has ever asked me to write a letter for them. My best buddy has always been an independent thinker, dresser and personality. David is loyal to his convictions, self, bride, children, siblings, friends, parents, co-workers, career and of course the Packers & Reds. Waking David up on that terrible August morning in 1978 and telling him his Dad was gone was the most difficult thing I have ever done. I told him that we would be ok and that we just needed to be strong. If I ever had to go to war I would want David Ringwood on my side.

Pete: "Smooth"

I always wanted to be like Peter William Ringwood. I remember pulling him aside at his wedding reception and telling him that I looked up to him. Not a normal thing for an older brother to do or say but it was the truth. Pete always will be the complete package in my eyes. He was able to overcome his ride home from Fays in the funny car with the red lights on the top. For me it was a great relief seeing someone else in a 'little hot water for a change. I often wonder how it must have been being the second from last and what did the world look like through his eyes. Peter was no angel and must have picked up a few tricks of the trade being the quiet observer he was and still is. Pete did have his rebel side and opted not to join David and follow the Packers. The Steel Curtin, blue collar workers in black and gold were his choice and he remains faithful to his Steelers to this day. I recall taking Pete to Buffalo for a Bills - Steelers game and he was proudly wearing his team's colors. He took a lot of razzing that day but hung in there really well. His team had a chance near the end of the game but came up short. I almost got into a fight on the way to the car with some knucklehead giving Pete a hard time. think of number nine as the "quiet" one but he sure was loud on the basketball court. Pete could and did score at will. I just wish he could have learned how to play a little defense. Pete was always surrounded with a group of terrific friends and carried himself well. Again, he somehow stayed under the radar. Remember the exploding mailbox???? Pete goes off to Clarkson and becomes the first computer savvy Ringwood. I have often told the story of my little brother programming the game of Monopoly on his computer way up in the North Country of New York State. Number nine is the most traveled of the Ringwood clan. He has accepted one challenge after another and successfully conquered them all. I can never forgive myself for not being able to answer Pete' s question " why” when Dad passed away.

Bob: "Determination"

Of all the Ringwood children, the one that just made it and the only true red head had the most difficult road to travel. One by one we left the homestead and at the end it was Bob and Mom. I took my role as Bob's godfather seriously. Although I knew I could never replace what was so unfairly snapped away from him, I had to give it a try. Bob and I sure had some good trips. The most notable was our train ride from Syracuse New York to Philadelphia via Grand Central Station in New York City. We arrived in New York, poked our heads out of the train station and the first thing we heard was "Hey Ringy"! Jay Hogan and Rick Tonzie were passing by so we decided it would be smart to take Bob to his very first bar. Coke and popcorn in hand, Bob was hanging with the guys in the Big Apple and I was proud to have him at my side. On to Philly and a couple days with Joe and Tom Burgoyne. We saw the Lakers play the Sixers, live on CBS, and had a great time. There were many more trips but the time together was what meant the most to me. Bob made me feel important as a brother, confidant and friend. I still have the photo of number ten and me under a small tree next to the practice green at SCC before the very first "Paul Ringwood Memorial". Bob and I were paired together. We played our round and I then traveled back to Philadelphia where I had just been transferred. Leaving my partner that day was emotional. After a long drive and a longer round of golf I checked back into my lonely hotel room. The phone rang and it was an excited Bob telling me that we won I!! I had to fight back the tears. Again, the sibling I'm trying to take care of takes care of me. To reflect on Bob's college days are impossible but the culmination of his success was never more apparent than at his graduation. He thought the whole crew was there to acknowledge his accomplishment, let it be known here and now that we were there to verify. Bob's political aspirations were finally interrupted by a moment of clarity and off to Wisconsin he goes. His determination to start all over is not only a complement to himself but to his family as well. He was "hell bent" to make a better life for himself The move was a gamble because he was leaving behind his future bride. Bob and I share an unexplainable common bond that will always keep us close. Bob is the very reason we are the family we are.

Dad:

"Leadership"Like all of my brothers and sisters, Mother and friends, our love for Paul James Ringwood Sr. will continue forever. I'm sure we all look back and smile when we think of this one of a kind, wonderful man. As a father, husband, friend, son, co-worker, teammate, community and church member, he was simply the greatest. I am sure that he had his flaws but they were invisible to me. My Dad, an only child and father of ten was taken back home on August 13, 1978. That day will never leave my thoughts. Rather than tell that story again and re-live the emotions of loss, fear, loneliness, anger and gloom I want to reflect on lessons learned.

Dad was all about family and his world revolved around his life-long sweetheart and wife, his children and parents. The only time I ever saw him shed a tear was when his father died. I, along with the rest of the crew learned from Dad that there is nothing more important in this world than your family. I have a letter that Mr. Bisgrove sent out to the many customers and friends of Dad's after he died. It was all about family. Look at all of us now, lesson well learned.

Filling up a couple of rows at church with well-dressed Ringwood's on Sunday was always a proud yet important moment for Dad. His deep faith and conviction to the church was genuine and something I will always admire. Family and Church, lessons well learned.

From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, my Dad loved his country. He would glow whenever the National Anthem played and always stood tall as a United States Marine. I'll never forget when he took one of my newly acquired Jabbar pictures right out of my hands, threw it on the floor in the kitchen and destroyed it with the bottom of his shoe. Never boycott the Olympics. Lessons well learned Family, Church, Country.

My favorite job during late high school and the days at ACC was driving Dad to and from the airport for his business trips. I was in awe of how sharp he always looked and the success that followed him. On one of those trips to the airport, Ted Graney and Dad were traveling together and they asked me what I planned on doing with my life after college. My response was Wall Street, they suggested the trucking business. Yeah right. Almost 25 years later, I'm still trucking. Dad told me that success in business started with polished shoes, a firm hand shake while looking them in the eye and integrity. Family, Church, Country and Integrity, lessons well learned.

It is remarkable that these lessons learned are alive and well in all of Paul and Joan Ringwood's children today. I miss my Dad terribly.

Mom: "Friendship"

Mom and I have a relationship that none of my siblings can understand or enjoy. I don't know what it is or how it came to be but the connection is real. Mom and I have talked about " if ' and we both recognize the uniqueness of our special bond.

When I run through my "Mom memory lane" so many stories, thoughts and feelings come to mind. The single reoccurring thought is that Mom and Dad, Joan and Paul, just go together. It will always be that way. Everything in our early years and upbringing revolved around our parents. The many lessons learned were taught and reinforced by both Mom and Dad.

Joan Crawford Ringwood can best be described by the word love. She swept our Dad right off of his feet and their open affection for each other was obvious. She brought ten children into this world and gave her entire self to each one of them. It is truly amazing what my Mom has accomplished. Mom always reminded me of Jackie Kennedy, except for all the kids.

My Mom was simply adored by her best friend, husband and partner. Dad would walk in from work and plant a big wet one right on the lips as Mom was preparing yet another memorable meal. He was just crazy about her and he let his children know it.

I was the one that seemed to test Mom the most. The green eggs and ham were harmless compared to some of the shenanigans I pulled later in life. My intentions were never malicious or spiteful but they did cause unnecessary anguish. Regardless, I knew that I was loved and that we would somehow work things out.

The "speeding" Mother of ten was as true to her friends, brother and sisters as she is with her family. She remains close to her life-long friend Sister Smitzy as well as the College gang and life-long family friends. I bet she was pretty wild back in the day.

I often go back in time and can now see much she truly sacrificed for her husband, children and mother-in-law and know that she will be richly rewarded and rightly so. Mom's commitment to her faith is the cornerstone of her very being and the key to her success in life. We have all made the "Saint Joan" comment one time or another, never been a truer statement.

My work here would not be finished without mentioning my wife Marguerite. She has made my life complete and I love her dearly. My Ringwood's, Tom Erin and Mark are the sparkle in my eye and the warmth in my heart. It sure would have been nice if they could have known my Dad.

In closing, this has been a wonderful heart-warming stroll down memory lane. The emotions have been all over the board and this exercise has proved to be a tremendous personal reality check I am proud to be a Ringwood, blessed with and by my siblings and honored to be number four of Paul and Joan Ringwood.