BYE FOR NOW DAD

Hi everyone, I’m James Thomas McDaniels!

My older sister Edie is here with her sweet husband Dennis and my older brother John is here with his Dear wife Shirlee and her son Mike!

We know my departed, dear twin sister Julie is here in spirit with us.

Julie’s husband is here, Michael Miller, along with his sweet wife Pam and Julie’s children, Mikey and Shannon and Pam has two children, Quinton and Cierra.

Mike and Pam have really done a great job raising them all!

Julie's best friend Lee, who is like a sister to us, is here with her sweet husband AJ.

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Thank-you Everyone, for coming here, together, today to celebrate the life and remembrance of…… James HOWARD McDaniels!

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We have LOTS of old Kodak camera pics for us to enjoy our blast from our past!

THESE ARE MOSTLY OF DAD BUT ALSO WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND SNOW STORMS, BBQ’S, JULIE ON THE ROOF, WITH A WATER GUN!, SURPRISE VISITS FROM EDIE AND DAD WITH Marilyn Monroe…’S CUTOUT!

And folks, also enjoy the fashion!! Some of it has, not only gone out of style but then went back into style and then back out of style again!

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James was my Dad and we all Dearly Truly Loved and .. looked up to him.

He was a tall man, many people looked up to him. Except Mom, even though she wasn’t even nearly as tall,… Dad had to look up to…. ..HER!

You see, Dad loved Mom SO VERY VERY MUCH, that I’d say that he had to look up to HER!

But, Mom and Dad were really quite the team! They married in Jan 14, 1956 and stay married for ……62 years!….. until…Dear Ann’ s passing in June of last year.

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I’d say that Dad had QUITE a Long and Full life. He was born in July 3, 1931, in Akron Ohio to Arthur and Peggy McDaniels. Dad has a brother, Bob and had a sister Carol.

And they called Dad “Carrot Top” because of his Red hair!

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In Dad's 1950 Senior class yearbook from Buchtel Griffin High School, he is described with the notations of "red",hi ya babe, devilish smile, pep and zip, Alaska here he comes, football, basketball, baseball..."!

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Googling other famous people born in 1931, we see the likes of…James Dean, Mohammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, James Earl Jones, and also “the beam me up guys…. my favorites” William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy!

Also the Empire State Building and the George Washington bridge were completed that year in New York. And the president is a guy named Herbert….Hoover…??   hmmm  Oh…..EDIE!.. is he the one that invented the vacuum cleaner…!? Hmm I’m going to say YES…Yes he DID!

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The terrible - Terrible American Great Depression was from 1929 through 1939. The song “Buddy can you spare a dime” was a very Big hit for good reason.

A time when, for too many people, the only job they could get was…robbing a bank!  And yes some ladies wore machine guns like jewelry….Talk …about BLING!!! ..  Ma Barker, here is my wallet, PLEASE. don’t shoot!

Prohibition ended in 1933, NO WONDER, I mean, I bet just about ALL of us would turn to drinking in such times…… Then came World War 2 shortly after.

A time of slang such as: Stool Pigeon, Taking the Rap, Also Hot Momma, Sweet Pa-tootie and female singers were called a “Sweet Canary”

…..and people listened to Big Bands playing while doing something called “Swing dancing”!…hmm…. OH EDIE!…..I think that’s a dance where you swing and twirl your partner around until they get dizzy and….VULNERABLE!

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So Dad grew up and he joined the Air Force as a clerk, and now became and called “Mac” for McDaniels.

Dad worked under some High ranking men….if he wasn’t exaggerating about that…. and Dad was then stationed in Japan and then Denver, involved with the support for the creation of the Air Force Academy and he met Mom who was working civil service at the same base. They married in 1956.

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Mom couldn’t have kids but they wanted kids, and they didn’t care if the kids were birthed from them or not.

So they adopted my older brother John and then my older sister Edie.

Then they were stationed in Germany at Ramstein Air Force Base.

..And the story, I believe goes, that.. as soon as John and Edie could talk, they started complaining,… that they didn’t have anyone to boss around…. so Mom and Dad decided to put in an order for another child.

When they got the call back, the orphanage said “we have twins”….and so John and Edie said “YES.. get one for Each of us to BOSS AROUND”!!!  ….So yeah ..they did…

Folks ….It’s a similar story to the Brady Bunch tv show isn't it?, GREG & MARSHA.. MARSHA…. MARSHA !  GOLLY….and poor sad powerless little Cindy and Bobby dressed in hand me downs ... ! LOL

We loved that show… aren’t we ALL too embarrassed to admit it now though!?!

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When I ponder my earliest memories of Dad, it was probably like your memories of your Dad.

….I remember ….being a little boy ….and Dad was my protector, he was my provider, he was my best buddy, he was my best friend, he was my rock, we were a team.

I was short and Dad would lift me up onto his shoulders.

And isn’t the word Lift a derivative of LIFE and doesn’t Life need a Lift, don’t we all need to help each other stand tall and be the best potential we can be?

I think I lifted Dad up as well, I was, in a way, an access to his original youthful unadulterated self.

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Both Mom and Dad had great smiles and Dad smiled and laughed often and often joked around.

They were kind to people and they both gave a notable amount to charities, not to mention their church.

They also loved our Country.

Also Mom and Dad were FERVENT recyclers,...they even Hand Washed all their recycled containers.

Treated like family, their cars lasted a long time, people would often say "are you Still driving that!"

The 1966 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon with no AC that would just kept going and going and going with many trips all the way down and back to Mesa AZ to visit Mom's wonderful siblings and retired parents, often for Thanksgiving!!

The 1970 Chevy Impala, the 1976 Toyota Corolla, the 1980 Chevy Malibu Sedan, all finally wore out and lastly they drove the white sedans 1990 & 1992 Buick Century's still running strong.

In fact Mom had the same GE clothes washer machine from 1969 until it fatally broke down in 2014!

!They wanted to leave behind a better world for us all!!

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For a many number of years, after attending church, Mom and Dad would drive over to Village Inn restaurant on Garden of the Gods road for breakfast.

The staff there very loved them both.

Upon their arrival, the staff had their corner table by the kitchen already set up with warmed plates, extra portions and gravy on the side!

Dad knew, seemed all the staff, by their first names and what was going on in their lives and even though they were busy, they would stop for a quick hello and personal chat.

Dad would watch a lot of the news and often just shake his head side to side with his eyes closed, at the reports of things just getting worse and worse in spite of all the praying and money we give to our religions and politicians and world leaders.

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This is the time when we speak of what we learned from our loved one….

Dad taught us so very much,..not to lie but to tell the truth.

Dad said, if you don't lie, you don't have to remember your lies, and Edie has repeated that solid advice to so many people.

Dad taught us when someone would call, he would say “!!with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?!!”.

He also taught us to walk, talk, swim, bowl, drive a car, and even on rare occasions, when to curse and what words to use!

Dad also taught us not to be wasteful and taught us love and compassion and compromise and how to work hard.

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After Dad retired from the Air Force in July 31, 1972, he went on to follow in HIS father’s footsteps and became a life insurance salesman with a company called New York Life.

Dad was a motivated achiever, you have to be when your a salesman.

Dad supported and ran our local Toast Masters International Club for the education of public speaking and leadership skills here in Colo Spgs for 44 years!

He valued and loved his recognition through awards for this and that, which he received over the years.........BUT the awards he cherished the MOST and kept, filling boxes and boxes, were the ones he received from us kids....Called Father’s day cards and Birthday cards, and (point to Edie) MARSHA.. I mean EDIE would give the most cards of ANY OF US… and now you know why Edie was his FAVORITE!...

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Dad and I both loved the Blake Edward’s ... comedy movie .. series THE PINK PANTHER staring Peter Sellars, that lovable but terrible bumbling French Detective.

When the next Pink Panther movie came out, we would both go together to the theatres to laugh and enjoy it together.

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We had a wonderful wonderful neighbors, and one of them was the Freemans and Dear Sweet Mr Freeman was a drinker and Dad Rarely was.

So a wonderful and true story is that Mr Freeman came over one day with prepayment in the form of several bottles of a wine called “Blue Nun”, to get Dad’s help fixing a broken bread toaster…I can tell you that the toaster NEVER GOT FIXED and But Both Mr Freeman AND DAD GOT VERY TOASTED!..., THE TOASTER WON!

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When my sexuality emerged and I found that I was a homosexual…. instead of a heterosexual… Dad didn’t follow the fervent religious teachings and think I was a child molester.

He didn’t stone me or shun or disown me like many other religious parents did to their own child.

He still loved me for being me, a unique soul amongst unique souls.

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Dad and Mom helped so very much in the taking care of Mikey and Shannon when Julie died they gave Mike all the support they could.

Dad walked our earth, and he healed me when I was sick, he gave me shelter when I was cold, he fed me when I was hungry, and when I made a mess of things…….Dad even changed my diaper!

I KNOW I MET GOD!

So even though I have decided Not to attend and support organized religions and their many sabotaging fairytale Gods, I find it befitting that tomorrow, Corpus Christi Church, supposed House of God, is having a funeral for Dad. I just SO MUCH WISH that they were going to talk about the Real Living GODS……like my Dad who will be right under their very snooty upturned noses and blind in fear eyeballs and self entrapping molesting-ly closed mind machines.

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Dad suffered a hernia for many years and finally corrective surgery.

Then severe scoliosis and the ongoing back pain till in the end he couldn't walk anymore.

Also a heart valve replacement.

Also emergency surgery for gang green in his intestines and emergency surgery for a major stroke, followed by many mini strokes.

His suffering is now truly over.

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Our parents made sure we were taken care of, us 4 kids, and in their final years we returned the favor and pleasure and made sure they were taken care of and comfortable as well.

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Now, in closing, PLEASE, let not One of us Fall into the pit of grieving, for too long, because Dad wouldn’t want that for us.

Remember, he always lifted us onto his shoulders, so we could stand and be even taller than he was!

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Now in my closing, first I'd like to do something, that I know Dad would enjoy.

So let's revisit Groucho Marx's famous song lyrics of... "Hello, I must be going":

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Intro: Groucho, speaking]

Well, I'm certainly grateful for this magnificant washout. Uh, turnout. And now, I'd like to say a few words:

[Sung portion begins]

[Groucho]

Hello, I must be going

I cannot stay

I came to say

I must be going

I'm glad I came

But just the same

I must be going, la-la!

[Margaret Dumont]

For my sake you must stay

If you should go away

You'll spoil this party

I am throwing

[Groucho]

I'll stay a week or two

I'll stay the summer through

But I am telling you

I must be -- going

[Party guests]

Before you go

Won't you oblige us

And tell us all your deeds so glowing?

[Groucho]

I'll do anything you say

In fact I'll even stay!

[Party guests]

Good!

[Groucho Marx]

But I must be -- going!!!!!

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Thank you Groucho!

Now some say our lifetime is like picking up a book and reading it from the beginning, ALL the Way to the End.

And then we set the book down and begin the next journey.

So one might say that Dad is onto his next book and journey,

DAD, I HOPE IT’S AN EVEN BETTER JOURNEY AND WE WILL CATCH YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE!!

THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING US,

WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!

THANK-YOU ALL FOR COMING, TAKE CARE!