All Souls Day with My Father and Brother

i am thinking about my father, rudy and brother rudy jr. today. may both of they rest in peace.

my brother was a quiet and gentle man. since he was 16 years older than i, he had graduated high school and joined the navy before i could realize it. i do have some foggy memories of him teaching me certain things like tying my shoes and playing chess. i remember walking the columbia city library with him and checking out books. i thought the library was one of the greatest places in the world. i still do. this is how i remember rudy when i was a boy:

later, i remember playing tennis with him. he was a good player. one summer when i was back in seattle from college we played tennis almost every day. my game improved except for my second serve. he even talked me into entering a doubles tournament with him at the end of the summer. tennis with rudy is a cherished memory for me.

after he married josie and had his two daughters, jennifer and valerie, he became a dedicated family man. there was nothing that rudy would have done for them. he was so self giving and a model of his faith in God. rudy died too young at 53.

i could write several posts on my father, rudy. enough to say that i miss him and his quiet unassuming presence at our home. sometimes when i am cooking, i remember him and the countless hours he spent in the kitchen making meals. he really did spoil my mom and me with great food!

here is a wonderful picture of my father and mother ursula just months before they got married. mom would have just turned 22; dad was 34. this is dad’s subtle smile that he shared with so many over the years.

it is enough to say today– all souls day– that i only saw my father cry one time. when my brother died in 2000, my mom, father and i went to columbia funeral home to view rudy’s body in the casket before anyone else. when my father stepped up to see his son, he silently wiped away the tears from his eyes. the simple gesture made us all get emotional.

dad, rudy– may you rest in peace. i love you both so much