My dad, Howard Sparks passed away today. 
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last fall and given 6 months. He called and said I wasn't scheduled to come home for 8 months. I told him I would come home early if he needed me. He tried chemo but last Saturday I arrived home earlier that orignally planned and today he took his final breath.
My brother and I tease that he lived 3 separate lives. His early years before marriage and while we were young he owned a motorcycle, then a boat and then a Cessna airplane. It was the years he could be on a bowling league and stay out late and get up early for his delivery route. 
I remember him the most in his "corporate life". My dad is the only person I know who started with a company - Wonder Bread/Hostess Cake when he was 22- and stayed with them until he retired, 35 years later, never having worked for any other company. Now that's impressive!
His last life was after he retired. He worked hard those work years and we wondered how he would ever adjust to retirement, but he did. My dad blossomed into a social golf butterfly.
My dad took up golf, he had starting into golf prior to retiring but then began golfing 36 holes a day, every day. Sundays and Mondays he would take it easy and only do 18 holes. There are years he had the nation's top number of golf rounds played for the season. He had the first tee time at his country club every morning for 16 years. My dad was the one who organized get togethers for the ORFS (for those non golfers it stands for "Old Retired FartS"). Where he was socially isolated during his corporate years to business associates only, I now say he has a numerous following of friends who have loved him enormously and will miss him deeply.
His last life was after he retired. He worked hard those work years and we wondered how he would ever adjust to retirement, but he did. My dad blossomed into a social golf butterfly.
My dad took up golf, he had starting into golf prior to retiring but then began golfing 36 holes a day, every day. Sundays and Mondays he would take it easy and only do 18 holes. There are years he had the nation's top number of golf rounds played for the season. He had the first tee time at his country club every morning for 16 years. My dad was the one who organized get togethers for the ORFS (for those non golfers it stands for "Old Retired FartS"). Where he was socially isolated during his corporate years to business associates only, I now say he has a numerous following of friends who have loved him enormously and will miss him deeply.
