Remembering Dads

[moparlvr4406]

As some of you know my dad passed away this summer and with
the holiday season coming I really miss the old man.
He was ...as are most dads.. a great influence on who I am today
This is a thread to honor the lives or memories of the Dad.
I just regret that he couldn't get in the little red 600
and passed before he could ride in the 340.



Post yours as you see fit :thumbsup:

 

[mwph]

Great idea for a wintertime thread. Thanks Jim.
It has been almost 10years for me. When I grow up I wanna be just like him.

 

[bahamabreisus]

My dads passing was 19 yrs ago yesterday. Christmas is always tough since then. Merry Christmas to all

 

[electricaldoctor]

Everybody handles this stuff differently, but I find it way too depressing. He died on his birthday. Dec-12-1922 to Dec-12-1995

 

[KC_Sundancer]

I like his christmas tree :smt001 and understand the regret of not getting a ride in the 600.
We were fortunate enough have my Dad get up here and drive our 270DA (which was always his dream boat) not long before his passing.
Sorry for the loss Jim and Thanks for bringing back great memories.

I am choosing to re-post my rembembrance.
Keith (KC_Sundancer)

Dedicated to the Late “Barnacle Bill” who has since cruised on.

“Barnacle Bill” July 4, 1940 / February 4, 2009
William J. Churill

​

As a hard worker with a passion for boating, Sea Ray’s and the Great Lakes, he spent much of his life on or around the water.
He really enjoyed the older days of navigation using a kitchen timer and speedometer to calculate where you were to make a course change. This was back in the 70’s before Loran became popular and GPS even existed. Weeks would be spent planning trips as Cruise Master to lead Members of the K & M Drifters through Georgian Bay and around Lake Huron. He would even use extremely detailed, hand drawn charts he got from the local Indian Tribes (which we still have) to get into some of the most out of the way areas.​

Old time navigation

Georgian Bay - Colins Inlet

In the earlier years it was clear that he was proud to buy his first new Sea Ray. This was an 18 foot with a Mercury Outboard built when the company just started in Oxford, Michigan. Many trips were made trailering up to the Les Chenaux Islands near Cedarville in Michigans Upper Peninsula. Friends and family would cruise out to Government Island and camp for weeks. With the smaller boats it would sometimes take multiple trips to get everything, and everyone out there - Great Times.

His next step was purchasing a new 19 foot Cuddy with an I/O. The K & M Drifters boat club was put together and trips were planned. I remember one trip down the Tennessee River with 7 or 8 boats. Everyone trailered down from the Detroit area for a week traveling the river. At the time 22 foot was the largest boat Sea Ray made and one came along. I remember him talking about fuel stops, or lack of being an issue. At one point along the way they were able to make arangements to have a fuel truck meet them along the river bank to fuel everyone up.

Later the 24 Cuddy was released and he stepped up again. This is when the Lake Huron / Georgian Bay trips were planned with the K & M Drifters. An annual trip across Lake Erie to Cedar Point happened every Memorial Day weekend. A move to his waterfront home on Northern Lake St Clair was also done about that time. Things could not be better with boating right out the back door.Once again he stepped up to the new 26 Sundancer with twin 470’s. As kids we liked this one the best because we had our own room. With this boat most of his time was spent out the back door on Lake St. Clair, the ST. Clair Flats and Detroit Rivers, along with our Annual Cedar Point Trip. He also took the occasional trip to Lexington, MI and Bayfield, Ontario, both on Lake Huron.Life changes had him sell the 26 Sundancer and step back to his favorite, a 24 Weekender with twin 250 straight sixes. One trip was taken back to Georgian Bay and around Lake Huron with this boat. This was his favorite and most practical for the boating he liked to do around Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair Flats. Fortunately we are able to pass the 24 Weekender over to JC_Weekender to carry on the boating with more of his Grandchildren.He was a dedicated Sea Ray owner from their beginning and took great care and pride in all of his boats. With his passing and love of the Great Lakes, he has since been sent through them starting in Lake Superior.We (JC_Weekender and KC_Sundancer) know we are very fortunate to have grown up with such experiences. The same passion and similar experiences with boating are being shared with our children as we know they are something you will always remember.He will always be missed and thought of in our travels on the waters!​

Last edited by KC_Sundancer; 12-16-2009 at 08:25 PM.​

 

[AMFM3]

While it does take time to get over the passing of your Dad, the memories now bring smiles.

Christmas was tough as my father passed away on Christmas Day 2008 while Janet and I waited in the airport to fly home to see him in the hospital. The forces of winter weather kept us grounded and it wasn't to be. Dad was always proud of my successes in life and always told me. He came with me on launch day for AMFM2 and the pride in his face was unmistakeable.

I miss him, but have lots of great memories too, especially at Christmas.

Mark

 

[Gofirstclass]

I didn't meet my biological father until I was in my 50's but got to know him well, and we were very close up until he died. He was a scratch golfer and an avid boater and an engineer. He owned his own machinery company that built the machinery that Perfect Circle and several other companies use to make piston rings.

After we met it was interesting to see how many parallels there were between his life and mine, and how much alike we were. Both good with numbers, both investors, both boaters, and both have/had a very fast sense of humor, albeit a bit on the dry side. We also both looked quite a bit alike.

He lived in MI and only twice did I get a chance to go boating with him. We took his boat out on Saginaw Bay for a day to do some perch fishing one of the times. He caught the only fish, a dinky 5" perch, but we had a lot of fun that day. The other time we just went out in the bay with some other family members and shut it off and drifted, swam, laughed, etc.

He died about the time GW and I were buying Beachcomber. I shared many photos of the boat with him but he never got a chance to see her. I bought a ship's bell and had it engraved with the boat name and a line that says "In memory of Edward F. Sullivan" which we ring before we leave the slip.

 

[1956olds]

My dad is still with up but i am afraid his time is short.His dad died on christmas day 1979 while i was away in the airforce.Due to a shortage in my field i was denied leave for the funeral which started a personal battle ending with my honorable discharge.I went to visit my dad last weekend and he asked if i wanted grandpas old keikehafer 5 hp motor.I said yes ,i grew up fishing with that old motor,when it developed a crack around the lower shaft housing in the 80's i dismantled it and had it heliarced and retheraded the shaft entrance.It still looks and runs like new though,and reminds me of my grandfather and the weeks spent on hubbard lake every summer.

 

[Nehalennia]

Lost my Dad in May of '09. I made a video Memorial , two parts with lots of boating. I had lot's of support and camaraderie with the gang here and in the boating community in general. It has not been forgotten. My Brother and I were able to take my Dad out on my boat one month before he past. His last voyage.

http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/16777-A-Sailor-s-last-Voyage?highlight=Sailor's+Last+voyage





[video=youtube;lUsQ_hxO56k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUsQ_hxO56k[/video]
[video=youtube;TlfFjPww7i4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfFjPww7i4[/video]

 

[J.Wilt]

I lost my father on Thanksgiving Day, 2003. As the youngest child of 7 it seems there was not that much time left to spend with me, kind of like the Cats in The Cradle Song but instead of giving the son a ball my father supplied us with boats.

"Thanks for the boatl, Dad, come on lets play
can you teach me to drive?" He said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do" I said "Thats okay"
And then he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said "I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m going to be like him"

I always respected my father, he was successful, well liked in the community, raised 7 kids, put us all through private schools. Now that he is gone I miss having the old man around and as I look back I find myself grown up and more like him then ever!

Thanks for getting me into boating Dad, I Love You....:smt089