Time passes and memories may fade. Not for memories ofyou though my friend. Remember playing Chinese Handball under our buildings in Whitestone? How perfect they were... completely shaded, just right. I doubt anyone could have beat either one of us! 

As I shared his life I share this piece of him through a treasured letter. I am so proud to have been his friend! This letter shows what a caring and loving person he was to others. It is a piece of him.    

    My parents used to go metal detecting a lot. They really enjoyed it. They would go to parks and to beaches with their metal detectors. They would find many interesting things such as jewelry( rings, necklaces, and earrings), money, and they even found a 14 KT gold and silver thimbel one time.


 My dad also went gold panning and dredging for gold a long time ago with my Uncle Terry.



    Another thing my dad really enjoyed was hidden treasure stories.
One year for Christmas Aunt Lola bought him a year's subscription for a Treasure Magazine that he really enjoyed. A few months ago before he passed away I sent him an article about a hidden treasure story that was in New Mexico. He thought it was very interesting. He sometimes would even joke about going to find a hidden treasure.       

    I keep thinking of things to write about my dad. I could probably write a book about my dad.
     I miss my dad sending me greeting cards that he used to send me for all of the different holidays.
 

I was able to go on a trip to Hawaii with my parents. My parents went to a time share one day and they got a prize for going down there so my mom pulled out a trip to Hawaii which payed for the hotel there and we had to pay for the rest of the trip. It worked out that my dad  received extra money from his tax returns at that time so we were able to go. It was very beautiful there. We went on a glass bottom boat and saw all kinds of different colored fish. We went to a Luau there. We also went shopping in the stores there. We went to drive up the road to Hana and we saw many waterfalls. We thought we saw the seven pools but found out later when we came back that we didn't go far enough and we never saw the seven pools. We went to the Tropical Plantation there and we also bought some fresh pineapple, the best pineapple ever. We drove up some cliffs, a very narrow highway that was called the cliffs of Kalakoloa. It was really kind of scary so we went back as soon as we could turn around and go back to get off of that road. We also went to a black sand beach. There were parts of the beach where no one else was around only us three.It was very beautiful there just like an earthly paradise It truly was a wonderful trip and I am glad that I was able to go.
  

  

Our family went camping to Big Bear one time when my sister and I were younger. I remember we went hiking on a trail to Castle Rock. My mom went part of the way but she didn't want to climb up the Big Boulder rocks so my sister Dawn and I climbed up to the top of the rocks with my dad.

I went camping with my parents to Catalina Island. We brought our tent and our camping gear and went to a campground in Catalina. We had a nice time there. We went on a tour and saw wild buffalo. We also saw flying fish on the boat ride there. We went shopping at the stores there. It was really a wonderful trip.

    I was never able to buy my dad expensive gifts but I always tried to show him love and at times I needed to forgive him but I know that these are priceless treasures that will last through all eternity:

                                   Love and Forgiveness


 I miss talking to my dad on the phone and I miss our visits together. I love and miss my dad.    

Dear Dawn, Kim and Families please know how sorry we are for the ray of sunshine you have lost in your life....my family.... my husband, son, brother, sister, grandchildren and especially my Mom loved him..... we send you our love and we want you to know you are in our thoughts and prayers .


Now I will start from the beginning our mothers Mary and Rose were childhood best friends and that friendship spans over 85 years....they were always together and what fun the two of them would have!!!  Rusty's parents were my Godparents, the best Godparents  I was so blessed to have them in my life...they were and always will be my Aunt Mary and Uncle Ray and Raymond and Rusty were my "cousins".  We grew up together...always a houseful of kids.  My memories of the early days when we all lived in Brooklyn were when Raymond would come over it was an adventure...my brother Raymond (Lots of Raymonds in the family) Rusty and myself did whatever he told us to do...one day he even  convinced us to climb up on top of an upright piano and jump across to the couch he told us we could FLY,,,, and  he made us promise not to scream or our parents would know what we were doing!!!   Rusty was always the happy one he has been laughing since we were kids....but very serious when it came to his baseball....which made my Uncle Ray very happy.  As years went on Rusty joined the Navy, at that same time, my husband, Mike, was in the Army in Vietnam and it worked out that at that time  I was having our Son Michael at a Naval Hospital in Queens....so guess who comes walking in to see me at the hospital all handsome and smiling in his Navy uniform...Rusty....but he stopped smiling pretty quickly when the nurses thinking he was my husband wanted to show him his baby..he said "not my Baby..my cousins Baby..just visiting" and than the two of us starting laughing so hard I thought they were going to throw us out baby and all. Because you all know that when he started laughing it was hard to stop!!!!!!  Time went by Rusty got married and moved to California and had his two daughters that he so adored and I was able to keep up to date through Aunt Mary.   After his Dad and brother passed away he moved back to New York to stay with his Mom it was great because we got to spend time and Holidays together again.  Rusty was always so much fun to be around . Over the years  he took such good care of his Mom, they had such a great, loving relationship.  Than there was his love for my Mom his Godmother, he never ever forgot a Holiday he would always call her and send her beautiful cards with long notes in them right up to this Christmas which my Mom loved . My "cousin" Rusty was and always will be remembered for the kind man he was, he lived life to the fullest and every step of the way he never forgot to take time to remember all the people he met along the way. We will all miss that smiling face.  To my family  he will always carry his childhood name Rusty....and I am blessed and proud to be able to call him my "cousin". 

Is what we called each other. Even before we had the most incredible "it's-a-small-world" experience (see below), we were pretty friendly. That included  Saturday morning gym intramurals, during our days at John P. McKenna junior high school in Massapequa Park, Long Island.  Our friendship increased over the next 50 years!
My children, my grandchildren, and others know of this story:

The conversation words went pretty much as follows... the facts are exact-
 
Walking down East Lake avenue one day I saw Rusty hanging out with his friends. I called out: "Russ, I heard you are moving? He said yes, we're moving to the city. I said us too... that we (my family) are moving into Queens (NYC).  He said really... that they were moving to Queens. I asked him where in Queens.  He said to a town called Whitestone. I said, Russ... we are moving to Whitestone!  He said, no kidding!, where abouts... I said to a section of Whitestone called Beechhurst. Russ said he also would be in Beechhurst! I said where abouts in Beechhurst. He said there are these 32 Pastel colored buildings called LeHavre- almost directly under the Throgs-Neck bridge.  I said "you are kidding, we are moving to LeHavre as well! Rusty asked what building......... WE WERE BOTH IN BUILDING 12... my family on the 9th floor, Rusty's on the 7th. Each floor had 4 apartments. I could look out my bedroom window past the 8th floor window and as I am sure we did at least once... would see each other- about 10 feet apart.
As you can imagine we shared much over the years. I will add memories here, from time to time. I know of Rusty the son, Rusty the Dad, and Rusty my best friend.  We kept in touch, and visited over the years. Rusty had many friends in Massapequa. If word of Rusty's passing should get to any of them; they or anyone, is welcome to contact me. I believe my email address is available on this site.  

       








         
       

      DAD

Dad made me
laugh and smile
He tried to encourage
me to press on to have
a better tomorrow.
He would often say to me,
"Keep the sunshine in your
heart and a beautiful smile
on your face."
Even though we will all remember
him in our hearts it is very hard to
let him go.
I do love and miss him,
yes, very much so. 

I believe the Lord told me that my dad is in his heavenly home.
The bible talks about a heavenly country in Hebrews 11: 16 it says, " But now
they desire a better country, that is an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God; for He has prepared for them a city."
I believe it's as if my dad went to a foreign country far away where I can't see him
or communicate with him, but someday will see him again in that heavenly country and city in heaven.

The bible also talks about  a Beulah land in Isaiah 62:4
"You shall no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall your land
any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your
Land Beulah;

Beulah- from the Webster's Dictionary means in Bunyans Pilgrims Progress, a country of peace near the end of life's journey.

( John 14:2-6) " In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."






While you're here on earth live your life well.
Yes, live your life well pleasing to the Lord.
Live your life well because life is fragile and fleeting.
Live your life well because you never know about tomorrow.
Live your life well because once it's all over and all is said
and done, when eternity has begun, then there's no turning back.
Then where will you go? Salvation's Redemption is the key to a heavenly eternity.
It's through Christ Jesus and the Cross of Calvary. This is the one and only key that will unlock the door to Heaven's eternal home. The question is where will you go? Here is the key to heaven's eternity......
                          KEY:
(Acts 16:31,32) " And brought them out and said sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said , Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your house.)
                          Prayer:
Dear Jesus I believe you died on the cross for me and you rose again.
I ask that you forgive me for my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
I ask that you come into my heart now and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord. Amen 

My story about my dad could really go on forever as he gave me a lifetme of memories literally from the beginning to the end. I am very lucky to have been his daughter. I can always remember him being so proud of me ...telling me I could do anything I set my mind to.  I can remember him taking us out for ice cream...bringing home donuts for breakfast when he worked the graveyard shift. I remember great camping trips..the real kind with tents and fires and coleman stoves and cornbeef hash for breakfast. I remember great times fishing...and the day I figured out baiting my own hook was disgusting! I remember going to Disneyland yearly. I remember great beach days at Redondo Beach...him teaching me to catch sand crabs under the pier ( then putting them on my mothers back much to her dismay) I remember him taking me on the tilt a whirl there and him getting so sick afterwards. I remember being angry with him as a teenager. I remember being so happy that he could walk me down the aisle ( twice). I remember him coming to Las Vegas immediatly after having my son and being so proud to be a grandfather. And he was good at that too! I remember him helping me through the tough times when I was separating and divorcing. I remember him seeing me through it all. He was always there for me. he was there for my dogs...giving them his famous "Scooby Dooby Doo " treats. He really was there for everything. As an adult we talked most mondays for probably an hour...Sometimes I was so busy it was hard to make the time and I would have to cut him short. I wish i could have those times back...I would stay on the phone forever just to have him a little longer.  I love you dad and I will miss you forever but I thank you for all the amazing times that you have given me and my family. This song I am adding .. Butterfly kisses ... he played it for me years ago before I got married. I can still remember sitting in the car listening to it..he was trying to slow me down just for a second to tell me he loved me...

     I wanted to share this story that I remember 
about my dad. I was a teenager and my dad wanted
to go camping to Big Bear. My mom didn't go at that
time so I went with him and we took  our dog gina that
we had at the time. We went fishing there and the dog
had hurt her leg and paw by the lake when we were fishing.
He asked me if I wanted to go home right away or wait until
the morning but I told him that I just wanted to go home right
away so we left and drove home that day. 

    I remember when I was a child my dad would tell me bed-time stories at night. The one I especially remember and liked was the Gingerbread Man story.
     When I was growing up our family would go camping at a lot of different places. The place that we used to go to a lot of times was to Big Bear. It was very pretty and peaceful there.
     My dad was very friendly and outgoing. He loved to go fishing and to play baseball. These were his favorite sports. He also enjoyed playing pool. He took our family fishing sometimes and we  went to a few baseball games as well.
     As an adult I remember visiting him one time and one of my best memories that I have is when my dad and I read the bible and had a bible study. We also prayed together. I really cherish that time together.
     Also when I visited him I was able to get to know him better than I had in the past. He would also come to visit me many times and we would go out to lunch.
     Another memory I really treasure is the last and final time that I spent with him before he went on to be with the Lord. I saw him on December 23 just a few days before he left. We went out to lunch at the Fish Company restaurant in Los Alamitos, California. He really liked eating there. We talked and we shared a dessert, a chocolate cake a la mode. We even had a gift exchange for Christmas.
    This was very special to me because I hadn't spent a Christmas with my dad in so many years. It was almost like spending Christmas day with him.
     When I said goodbye to him that day I never knew that it would be the last time that I would ever see him again here on earth.
       I miss him very much but I thank the Lord for all of those special times that I had with my dad. 

    Another story that is kind of funny that
I remember of my dad was when I was I think
a teenager. My parents were still together
and we went to a  country  Barn dance in 
Yucaipa, California at Riley's Apple Farm.
     They had a square dance there that we
tried. It was fun to try. I tried for a little while
then I sat and watched my parents dance for
a while which was really funny to watch. My dad
had stepped on some lady's dress there which was
probably embarrassing for him but also kind of funny.