My father was the pillar of strength for our entire extended family on both my mother and father's side. "Uncle Norm" as he was fondly called by all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and second cousins, all seemed to be the one they reached out to for advice, a helping hand or just an ear to listen. He was a decorated soldier who fought in heavy combat in the Korean War and was definitely a "man's man". He could take an engine of any kind apart, fix anything, sell anything, and was a great adventurer. This is the part of him that opened my eyes to the world and inspired me. He flew his own plane, captained his own boat, would drive for 24 hrs to a destination only stopping to get gas and food because of the sheer excitement of getting to the destination as soon as possible. We camped in the mountains and in the desert, by lakes and on the ocean shore. We lived off the land while camping and always went to bed with a full stomach. He always made us feel like we could do anything with determination, hard work, and laser focus, but still showed us, by example, the importance of a balanced life spending quality time with our families and always making time to give a helping hand. Happy Father's Day!   With love,   Patricia