To my Dad- George Augustine Carducci- 12-20-1910 - 02-03-2001
Goodby Dad I'll miss you. All that I am I owe to you and mom. Now you are both gone, I hope I live the life of the person you wanted me to be. Dad you were one of my best friends, a person who I could always come to for advice. No matter how old I got, how good I thought I was you were always there with your gentle, sound advice. You helped me find that I could do things. Even if you once said " you run that thing for 5 min and then fix it for 3 hours afterwards" I know you were proud of what I did. From you I got the basics on machining and problem solving. Never judgemental, you were always open and caring as well as very intelligent and insightful. I was proud to call you my father and to be your son. I am grateful for a continuous unbroken friendship and bond with you my whole life. Here's to a strong signal and best DX for all eternity. Your son Jerry.
It is now slightly more than 12 years since we lost you dad. Where has the time gone? Many things have happened in those years; I lost both my sisters far too early, lost longtime friends Jochen Maier as well as Jacques Littlefield. It has not all been sadness, I still miss you and mom of course, I probably always will as we were very close; but there has been the joy of travel, meeting new friends and seeing new things. My hobby has grown, I've had the joy of watching a young person learn about her world and blossom into an intelligent, insightful individual who is set to begin a new chapter in her life.
When I read the words I wrote in the immediate wake of dad's passing I remember the feeling of despair, loss and being alone. The days that followed were some of the lowest emotionally of my life but as the old tired saying goes: what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Time does soften the loss, being at your home makes me reminisce about days past but I look to my own future as well. It took some while but I can see most things more objectively now with fewer emotional ties to 'things' than years past. My goal's priority now is to make the best decisions I am able for myself and my family. Attachment to certain things are tempered with equal parts practicality and sentiment.