Friday, November 16, 2012

The ABC's of Bill O'Hara by Karen Toholsky

On this anniversary of Bill's homecoming with the LORD, I wanted post a wonderful acrostic a dear friend wrote to memorialize him for my children. It captures the light and life of Bill so well! 


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

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