Obituaries

Dad, I don’t even know where to begin, because saying goodbye to you brings so many emotions. Our relationship was never simple. We had moments of love, moments of hurt, moments I wish could have been different, and moments I will carry with me forever. But through everything, you were my dad, and that will always matter. I want you to know that I tried. I moved you up here because I wanted to help you, because I wanted to see you healthy and have a better life. I wanted to encourage you to get clean, save money, and have something you could be proud of. I wanted to see you be able to buy your baby that truck because I knew how much that meant to you. I wanted to see you happy and have the chance to build something for yourself. When I think about you, I don’t want to only remember the hard times. I want to remember the dad who made people laugh, the dad who loved to joke around, and the dad who always found a way to turn moments into stories people would talk about for years. I will always laugh thinking about Wild Adventures. I had to bribe you into riding everything because I knew you really just wanted to see your favorite animal — the giraffe — and feed it. You may not have loved every ride, but you gave us memories we will never forget. Desiree loved every second of “torturing” you, especially when you scared everyone by passing out for a few seconds on the roller coaster. That became one of those stories she will always tell. I will remember Cayden when he lived with me and how much he loved trying to scare you while tubing down the river. You refusing to get off that float, even with a life jacket on, because you were determined to stay right where you were is something I can still picture and laugh about. I will remember Damion dragging you all around Legoland while you were just trying to find a place to rest.  And then there was the little girl we never met who thought you were a scarecrow. The moment she touched you and you moved, you scared her, and somehow that was the perfect “you” moment — leaving someone with a funny story they would never forget. I will remember your mischievous side too. I can still picture you running out of the house and getting Chris with a bottle rocket to the butt, because somehow you always found a way to turn an ordinary moment into a memory. I will never forget you tying a rubber snake to fishing line and setting it up so it would touch me as I walked by. I was convinced it was real, and you got exactly the reaction you were hoping for. You loved a good prank and you loved making people laugh. I will also never forget my first and last driving lesson with you. I scratched the entire side of Mom’s almost brand-new car, and instead of letting me get in trouble, you tried everything you could to convince her that you were the one who did it. It might not have worked, and Chris may have had to take over teaching me a few years later, but I will always remember that you tried. I will remember you and Mr. Lee running around the front yard talking junk to each other, carrying on like two kids who never grew up. Those moments showed the fun, silly side of you that people loved. Those are the pieces of you I want to hold onto — the laughter, the jokes, the stubborn moments, the way you loved to tease people, and the stories that will be told over and over. The memories you gave my children and everyone who loved you. There were things I wish had been different between us. There were things that hurt and things we never got the chance to fix. But I hope you always knew that underneath everything was a daughter who loved her dad and wanted the best for him. You taught me lessons throughout my life — some through love and some through struggle. Those lessons helped shape who I am today and the mother I became. I hope you are finally at peace. I hope you are free from the battles you carried. I hope you know that you mattered, you were loved, and you left behind memories that will keep you alive in the hearts of everyone who knew you. Goodbye, Dad. I will miss you. I will laugh at the memories, cry over the ones we lost, and carry you with me for the rest of my life. You will always be a part of me.

Charles you will truly be missed! You were a big part of my life 25 years to be exact, you had an impact on my life as a father figure and you were always a good papa to my babies! I know your with Donna and smiling down on us. I love you Charles! May you RIP!

Dad I love and miss you so much