This weekend we buried my Father-In-Law.

Dick was a good man, and a right bastard at times.. When I first met him 20 years ago he struck me as a grumpy old man that thought no one would ever be good enough for his daughter, least of all me.. He might have been right, but I got her anyway.. Diane and I were married between her Junior and Senior years at Notre Dame and he was sure that I had ruined her life.. Fortunately for me that all changed when we presented him with a granddaughter a year later..

As mean as this guy was, he was pure jello around little girls.. This gruff, cantankerous, and sometimes humorous man simply loved children.. And little girls most of all.. It’s amazing to see how a little child can get a grown man rolling around on the floor making silly faces and noises..

I’m going to miss the old guy.. He was a huge part of my wife’s life, and I still don’t know how she will get over this or how long it’ll be before she can go for a whole day without crying.. But I do know that our lives have been better for having him a part of them.. And for me, he gave me the greatest gift any man can give, his daughter to love and care for.. And for that I thank you Dick.. Rest well now, you’ve earned the right..

Fey