My father was a joyful, kind and energetic man who loved his family, friends and his career as an optometrist in downtown Boston. His success as a solo-practitioner was due to 2 factors: First, he was excellent at his craft delivering flawless service and product, and second, he truly loved people. He was genuinely interested in his patients’ lives. His patients looked forward to seeing him and he them.
Knowing my father as I did, it is not surprising that his assignment in the Korean War was an interesting and meaningful period in his life. In 1952, from his station in Japan he called my mother, a 23-year-old residing in Brookline, MA and asked her to marry him. She accepted his proposal!
My mother had never been on an airplane. It took her 5 days to get to Japan. They were married by an army chaplain and spent 22 months living and traveling Japan throughout the war. They were happily married until my mother’s death in 2002. My father’s optimistic attitude toward life and his “cup half full vs. half empty” view of the world has inspired my outlook on life and certainly supported me through challenging times. I think of you today Dad, on Veteran’s Day, and smile with gratitude for your service to our country and for being the great role model for love and life that you were.
