My Dad was 90 when he died on August 15; after he retired, he spent decades in volunteer work helping his community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and helping others.
Just as one example, he founded and ran a volunteer program to provide free tax returns for low income people in Tulsa, helping low income people get Earned Income Tax Credits. An article in the local newspaper, the Tulsa World, interviewed my Dad. The article explained that Dad kept a box of tissues handy for people who learned they were getting money back. He told the reporter, “If you are making $15,000 a year and had two children, then you get $4,000 handed to you in tax returns, that will bring out that kind of emotion – a wonderful, happy emotion.”
More recently, when I asked my Dad what he wanted for a gift -- it would have been for Father's Day or for his birthday, I can't remember -- he asked me to write an article about RIP Medical Debt for my newspaper. (It's a national program that pays off medical debt for people who never managed to pay a big medical bill. Dad wanted publicity for a worthy program.) He reminded me, too, until I managed to finish writing the piece and got it turned in.
Many of my interests -- classical music, aviation -- came from my Dad. Above is a photo of a World War II Douglas A-26 bomber. I snapped the photo at the MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio, a few weeks ago because it was made in the same building at the Tulsa airport where my Dad worked for many years.
Normal blogging will resume Monday with the return of the Prometheus Rising discussion group.
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing this. He sounds like a wonderful man. I am sorry for your loss. Take care.
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