Memories of Bill
Dear Seth, Luke, Hannah, Sarah, Abby, and Ethan,
Since your dear daddy died, I have been pondering my words to you to help you remember your dad. I have many happy memories of your mom and him. We shared some good times together when we took the “Growing Kids God’s Way” course, and I remember when they came to the hospital the day Marshall was born. Your dad sure did love babies and always celebrated a new birth. He had so many wonderful qualities, and I can best express them in this way…
The ABC’s of Bill O’Hara
A is for Adoring Your daddy adored your mom! It was touching to see the love they shared.
B is for Balanced Your daddy, even though he worked long, hard hours, had a good sense of balance in his life.
C is for Craftsman Your daddy was an incredibly skilled woodworker.
D is for Diligent He did everything with excellence and worked whole-heartedly.
E is for Excellent Electrician The Gallagher Company will sorely miss his skill and good work!
F is for Father I think he would say this is the title he was most proud of—your daddy was a wonderful father.
G is for Gem Your daddy was a precious treasure, not only to his family, but to his friends and co-workers!
H is for Handsome Your mom wasn’t the only one who throught this… your daddy was a good-looking man!
I is for Industrious Your daddy was a tireless worker!
J is for Joyful Your dad always chose to see the glass as half full instead of half empty—and found joy in simple things.
K is for Knowledgeable Your daddy knew lots of things about lots of things!
L is for Loving Your daddy was a gentle, loving man.
M is for Mainstay Your daddy was a supporter, an upholder, reliable and dependable—the foundation of your family.
N is for Nice Your daddy was just a sweet, all-round nice guy!
O is for Outdoorsman Think of all your wonderful camping trips!
P is for Passionate You’ll need to ask your mom about this one!
Q is for Quiet Your daddy was a man of few words—but when he spoke, people listened.
R is for Respected Your daddy was a man people looked up to, and he was worthy of their respect.
S is for Servant Your daddy had a servant’s spirit! This was the quality that was dearest to me—he lived to help others.
T is for Tall As we say here in the South… your daddy was “a long drink of water!”
U is for Unpretentious Your daddy was direct, straightforward, honest and unpretending. He was always the same with everyone and didn’t treat people differently.
V is for Valiant Your daddy was brave, courageous and strong.
W is for Watchful Your daddy was alert, aware, and vigilant where his family was concerned.
X is for “X-traordinary” Your daddy was a one-in-a-million kind of man!
Y is for “Young at Heart” Your daddy could still be a kid at times and enjoyed life to the fullest.
Z is for Zealous Your daddy was a man who sought after God and is even now in the presence of the Father.
Children, as you get older, you’ll realize more and more what a special man your daddy was. Every wife and family does not have the kind of dad you had. He was a dear, precious man who was good, kind, helpful, and loving. My prayer is that you’ll always live your lives in a manner that would make him proud. I pray God’s blessings on you all as you continue on in his absence.
With my love and prayers,
Karen Toholsky
