Monday, February 23, 2009

Happie Boithday!!!

¡Hola!
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Today is my late father's birthday. He would have turned seventy today.
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There are a lot adjectives that could use to describe my father, but the one word that probably stands out the most and the one that I would use, would be this: modest.
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My dad was a very modest individual, in that he would never toot his own horn about the things he did, the things that he accomplished or the undying respect that he earned during his lifetime.
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Let me tell you a little bit about my dad and the huge footprint that he left behind in this world.
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My dad taught computer science at what is now called Central CT State University. He was one of the very first members of the newly created computer science department when he was hired at the very young age of twenty-five (this was back in 1964).
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Although he had many accomplishments at CCSU (dept head, member of the faculty senate, etc.), perhaps the one he was most know for, was for something that he didn't teach, but simply administered: the math placement test.
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I'm not quite sure how the admission process works at todays colleges/universities, but back in the day when you enrolled at CCSC/CCSU, you had to prove that the math skills you came in with were good enough to continue at college with. Thus, you took a math placement test. If you didn't pass this test, you got put into a remedial math class, and were taught the very basics of mathematics. And I'm meaning very basic, like high school algebra basic. Suffice to say, my dad became a very popular individual. A man of very uncompromising values. If you didn't pass, you didn't get to take your chosen mathematics class until you did remedial mathematics.
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My dad was very well known in the local community. The things he did and accomplished were wide ranging, and they include the following examples:
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1} Heavily involved in local politics as he helped run two very successful mayoral campaigns.
2} Heavily involved in community sports: woman's volleyball, men's basketball, girls softball, Little League baseball, boys and girls basketball, to name just a few.
3} With Little League baseball, in 1975 he was instrumental in helping to successfully integrate girls into what was formerly an all-boys town sport. Even made the local television news at the time.
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On the world stage, his influence was far-reaching and just as well known even today. Back in the late 70's, he took over a teaching program at Sam Sharpe University (Kingston, Jamaica), and helped bring wider exposure of the academic/real world communities to people who otherwise wouldn't have been afford the opportunity to experience higher education. He became a very well know fixture in the West Indian community, both stateside and overseas, right up to the day he passed away (His obituary was published in the local daily paper in Kingston, and in the local weekly paper that covered the West Indian community). His influence was such that even people from Jamaica traveled to CT to pay their last respects.
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I like to finish up this mini-tribute to my dad (a longer version can be found in the Hartford Courant archives: his obit ran two full length newspaper columns and he had a very nice article written about him in the paper. The article was an installment in a weekly column that featured influential local people who had passed away), by pointing out the misspelled title of this post.
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My dad was a major stickler for good grammar skills and never failed to point out what was wrong with a particular part of an English paper that I would show him for approval. So as a tribute to him and the knowledge he imparted onto me, I would like to wish my dad a "Happie Boithday!"
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I would also like to take this opportunity to ask people if they leave comments, to share a memory of a now gone loved one.

22 comments:

  1. I love your tribute to your dad. I had one plannned for mine for a couple of weeks now but have kept pushing it back to polish it up. Your father sounds like a man I would like to have known. And what an amazing set of accomplishments for a lifetime.

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  2. Nice tribute to your father. My father is also gone. And the anniversary of his death in April is fast approaching. He also was a humble fellow, a hard worker, fairly sober in life but not without humor. A good man.

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  3. Your dad sounds like he was quite a guy. Great tribute.
    My husbands aunt died two weeks ago. She was a generous, kind, loving soul. She had lots of money, and was always willing to spread the wealth, in more ways than money.

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  4. Your father sounds like he was a very accomplished and well respected individual. They do still give math placement tests at college - from what I can tell, at Freshman Orientation, with the same outcome. Low scores require a basic level math class. Now the placement tests are generally done online.

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  5. That was a really nice tribute to your dad. Good idea. My own dad was a great guy. He was very strict and a devoutly religious person, and would never miss a day of work. I got his belt across my ass a few times, and when he was slowly wasting from cancer I said to him one day that growing up I thought he was a real hardass, but that as an adult I was glad he had been a hardass, and then shook his hand. The smile on his face told me that who he was as a father culminated for him in that one moment. It was the best thing I had ever given to him.

    TRUTH

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  6. By the way...your dad passed away just a few weeks before my dad. Mine went on 9/12/04.

    T

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  7. To everyone: Thanks. I actually had this one planned for the past month but the only thing that hung me up was getting a copy of his photo.

    He did indeed touch a lot of people in his lifetime. The wake itself lasted two days because of all the people who wanted to come and pay their respects.

    My dad was the ultimate teetotaler. He drank nothing stronger than soda or milk, and I couldn't even get him to drink a glass of champagne at my wedding. :-]

    I like to share one brief story about his sense of humor.

    For about twenty odd years, the math department's annual Christmas party was always held at our house. And the highlight of the party was the opening of the grab bag gifts (Charles, you might want to use this idea in one of your future classes or something).

    The reason that this was a highlight, was because of my dad's gift. My dad had the ultimate gift, which he usually gave to the newbie of the department.

    His gift was wrapped with everything imaginable that one could use: string, tape, wrapping paper, newspaper, plastic bundle straps, you name it, he used it.

    It always took the receipiant about twenty mintues to open this large box that contained an incredibly small gift.

    Always brings a smile to my face whenever I go to a Christmas party.

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  8. Touching tribute George. Sounds like he was a great guy. :)

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  9. Georgie B it's Gotalife and I love this! Your father was a special man and to have a son so loving to him is wonderfull. May he rest in peace.

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  10. To Kyle and Gotalife:

    Thanks for your kind thoughts.

    He was a very remarkable man. There were a lot of things that I found out later that I never knew about him.

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  11. I'm glad that you've reached a period where you can reflect upon your father's life with joy rather than sadness. Your post was a lovely tribute to his life and work.

    Both my parents are dead. My father died back in 1999 after 2 years of agony caused by cancer. My mother died from a brain haemorrhage last October. I posted the eulogy I wrote on my blog - my testimony to her life.

    It's a different feeling when both your parents are dead. I expect I'll get used to it eventually but somehow I don't think it'll be for a while.

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  12. Thanks.

    My father passed away from congestive heart failure brought on by a terminal case of pulmonary thrombosis (exposure to abestoes).

    It was three very long agonizingly painful years that the he and the family endured.

    Took a very long time for me to get to this point to where I can reflect on his life without anger or sadness.

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  13. I know exactly what you mean Georgie.

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  14. A lovely tribute. I'm sure your Dad would have loved it.

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  15. Thanks.

    Still, it's been a tough five years now.

    Doesn't really get any easier as the years progress, but we do what we can to keep the memory alive.

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  16. To George,

    A very nice tribute! Getting over a loss is so difficult and I think sometimes people wonder if this deep sadness only happens to them. It's good to know that in a way we're all in this together and in the end we all understand this kind of hard experience. The little things that make us remember them and make us sad at the same time are what made them special in the first place.

    Take care,
    J-Marie

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  17. This is a wonderful tribute to your dad. I am so sorry you lost him. My father passed away when I was but four years old so I don't have many memories of my father. But I still feel love for him.

    Sorry I have been so neglectful in visiting lately. I hope to catch up now.

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  18. J-Marie: thank you for the warm words.

    Definitely indeed.

    Merelyme: Thanks for compliment.

    And there is never a need to apologize for not visiting. The most important people you should worry about is you and your family. I'll always be here for you whenever you need a breather.

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  19. A wonderful list of accomplishments, yes. Very impressive that folks came all the way from Jamaica to pay their respects.

    Do you resemble him , Georgie?

    And it's funny to see the glasses and clothing, as it's almost a carbon copy of my dad's style some years back. Your dad was born just a couple years after mine.

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  20. I think I resemble my mom more than I resemble him.

    Seriously old clothing from the seventies.

    My dad used to wear these hideous plaid pants every Christmas. You name the color, the pants had it.

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  21. Yeah, the 70s! My dad had the same glasses.

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  22. My dad was perpetually stuck in the seventies.

    The large sideburns as well.

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