Dick Ervin (left) skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho 1947. |
After the war my father married my mother, Genevieve. The photo below is my mother on Mount Hood in Oregon where she met my father while skiing.
Genevieve Ervin skiing on Mount Hood. |
A couple years after my mother died, my father married Geneva and moved back to the Northwest. My step-mother, Geneva, is a lovely woman who was married to my father for almost 20 years. I remain close to my step-mother and her family who all cared deeply for my father.
The pain of losing my father has been unparalleled in my life. When my mother died, I was blindsided. But my father was there with an emotional safety net. Now, I'm living without a net. Until shortly before he died, I spoke to my father nearly every other day. We talked about everything, my work, his grandchildren, politics and the weather. We disagreed on many, many things, but my father encouraged different points of view and we both loved our colorful discussions.
For me and my family, the most tangible gift from my father is the financial support he gave us over the last four years during the economic recession. He paid our mortgage for several months and co-signed a loan so my oldest son could finish college. I thanked my father for his generosity many times, but I would also like you all to know that my father saved this family.
I have been blessed with many things, but perhaps the greatest of these is the love and generosity of my father.
Genevieve