My Dads eulogy

[Franco]

I wrote this and read this at his first service, currently enroute to Va Beach to have a 2nd service and inter him with my mom.

William F. Meyers Jr.

Eulogy

Today we are here to say goodbye to my father, William Meyers. It is a hard thing to do, saying goodbye to some one that touched your life in so many ways. But we should celebrate his life, not just mourn his passing. That is what Pop would want. Pop has joined those that have passed before him. We have gathered again, as a family, to make sure that he always is alive in our hearts.

Pop had a very interesting life. He was born in a small town in Pennsylvania, the oldest of five children. Pop was a life long Yankees fan, which started with train rides to New York where he saw Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio play his favorite game. And pop was quite a good ball player. He was a pitcher on his high school team with a decent fast ball, a good curve ball and really good control. After pop graduated from high school he worked in a steel mill until he decided he would pursue his dream of joining the Navy. One day while he on his way to work at the steel mill, he made up his mind. He pitched his lunch pail over a fence and hitch hiked to Philadelphia in search of the Navy Recruiter. He joined July of 1942, just months after Pearl Harbor and he served with naval combat forces in the Pacific from 1943 till the end of the war.



After the war pop was stationed in Philadelphia, and while serving as the best man for one of his shipmates, he met the love of his life, Jo, my mother. Pop looked like Bing Crosby in Navy dress blues highlighting his blue eyes and my mother was a beautiful brunet with big brown eyes. They were married just a few months later. The following year they had their first of three children. And like a typical Navy family, we moved from duty station to duty station, finally settling down and making our home in Virginia. Pop retired after 30 years in the Navy and after that, he retired from Civil Service. Mom and pop were founding members of their Parish in Virginia Beach. Pop was involved in the men’s club and the Knight of Columbus, finally becoming a Fourth Degree Knight. Pop was always the first to arrive when there was an event, meeting or job to do, and the last to leave.

My father was a quiet man. My mother on the other hand was a bit harder to miss. Pop loved that about mom, and he was often the center of her attention. He may have seemed gruff, but there was no hiding the fact that he loved that attention. Their later years were their best years. They had survived all the ups and downs, and grew closer and closer. They were together until my mother passed away just a few months before their 50th wedding anniversary. That shook my father to his foundation. Many people would have fallen to pieces, but not my dad. His faith grew deeper, his devotion to my mother never wavered. He carried on everyday knowing that one day he would again be with Jo.

My wife, Robin, and I were fortunate to be able to spend the last 12 years with my father. We learned many things during that time. We learned about caring for one another. We learned about how important family is. We learned that faith is the cornerstone. We learned about trust and compassion. We learned to humbly give from the heart. We learned that love is strong and true.
Five years ago we moved from Virginia to Florida. We had visited my brother Bill and his family during a vacation, and we, as a family became excited about the prospect of bringing the families together in one place. Eventually, pops health began to fail and we pulled together as a family. In pops last hours we were all together, in pops bedroom. He was at peace with the world, knowing that Jo, Jimmy, Moe, Brudsy, and the others that passed before him were waiting for him in heaven. Pop knew that we were going to be alright after he left. He gently passed that evening while we were gathered together. So today I ask you to celebrate his life and keep Pop, Bill, Murph, Uncle Murph, grandpop, great grandpop, whatever name you knew him by, alive in all our hearts.

[chumbucket]

That's a very touching eulogy Franco. Thank you for sharing with us these intimate thoughts and memories. Hold those memories of your Pop close to your heart and he will always be with you. My condolences and prayers go to you and your family.
CB

[willy]

Well said my friend

[jjjtronics]

Every once in a while, we see post that really matter, words that really mean something important, thoughts and memories that make us realize how wonderfull life is, when love, respect and good values are the foundation of a Family, like yours Franco.
Many of us know how tough it`s to separate from a good Friend, in this case your own Dad, but He (your Dad ) must be so very happy now, because He can see you from Heaven and realize that all the time and effort that He dedicated to you, has paid for. You are now a gratefull and good son, and we know you will still love Him till the day you go to reunite with both your Dad and your Mother, so just keep passing to your Family now, all that good love that your Parents teached you, so when you leave this world, you can look from "Above" and see exactly what He sees now, a tight and loving Family, caring for each other and loving each other above all things.
Franco, thank you for sharing all that love with us, from your words I realize that there is really good people in this world still. Its not easy to find people that have your qualities as a Man, as a friend, as a good son and brother, ( perhaps a dad too ), that not just love his Family and Friends, but also have the courage to sit down and write all those beautiful thoughts so others can learn from it.
Thank you for being here with us, and for being our friend in this Forum.
To your Dad, I celebrate with Him, for a good life He had, for His good doing so his sons and daughters are good people too, for his duties in the Navy so we can still enjoy freedom, and for his reunion with His beloved Wife Jo, and all his old friends and Folks that were waiting for Him "Up There". Father God now has another good Sailor on His crew.
Now, you, and all of us, know that your Dad want you to keep enjoying life as much as possible, so make Him even happier, go fishing as soon as you can, and the first good catch, dedicate it to Him !!!!
GRACIAS Franco !!!!!

[CaptJ]

Sorry about your dad, very nice eulogy. He will be proud to hear that you learned so much from him. I, like you, was very fortunate to have a great dad / best friend / teacher and mentor...and I miss him each and everyday.

a toast to pops

[reelapeelin]

No words come to mind...except I know you will miss him...thanks for sharing so much of him with us...

...and travel safely...

[Shawsee]

Awesome posts Franco, your Father is looking down from Heaven and smiling for sure.

[Blue_Runner]

Well written Pubah, your dad is smiling down on you and the rest of the family.

Hey as a side note, my youngest daughter's middle name is Jo. Named after my wife's mother whose middle name is also Jo.

[lumberslinger178]

god bless him and your family franco......