Dad passed away on March 14, the day before the Ides of March. He couldn’t wait until that famous Ides, he had to leave the day before but we still miss him.
1950's (He always wore his cowboy hat & boots.)
Our dad had a great sense of humor and made many, many friends. His Japanese friends called him, Monji-Monji. They probably had other choice names but I didn’t hear them. His mother called him, “Jo-ji” in her very thick Japanese accent. (Yes, she actually said, “fly lice” for fried rice.)
Daddy was born in Denver, Colorado on December 27, 1914 and he left this world and dimension on March 14, 1996 in McAllen, Texas. He died from heart failure after surgery on his foot. Long story short: a podiatrist trimmed his toenail and it became infected due to no circulation which led to gangrene. Ew!
Both of my sisters, Lynn and Gina wanted to fly down for his surgery and he didn’t want anyone hovering around his bed. This happened six months earlier when he had surgery for heart disease; I’m not sure of the exact diagnosis. At this time, the doctors discovered that his right renal artery was totally blocked and atrophied. He had zero circulation to his right kidney. I wanted to go down to Texas too but he wouldn’t hear of it. (Kenny, our brother couldn’t go because he was working in Vegas.) Dad tried to convince me that it was minor surgery but I didn’t buy it; however, I think I understood why he didn’t want us flying down to Texas. I think he was nervous but didn’t want to show it. So, we didn’t go.
L-R: Lynn, me, Gina, Dad--for his 75th birthday.
Then on March 14 at 2:30 AM, my phone rang. My heart sank as I quickly picked up the phone just to stop its ringing. Then I heard the tearful news from Ofie, his wife, that he died soon after the surgery.
Dad’s favorite phrase: “What the hell.”
My beloved father and me (2-3 yrs old)
