Happy Birthday Dad!

Mine

We all miss you! I have no doubt you're at Augusta this weekend!

For Dale Murphy, From Your Son

Artist: Tyson Murphy / Image Source

The image above is a cartoon drawn by one Tyson Murphy for his father Dale Murphy. Dale was one of my all-time favorite players growing up as a baseball-loving kiddo. This is a great story I was turned onto at Deadspin. The article is written by Deadspin's Barry Petchesky:

It's Dale Murphy's 15th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, and while his chances of getting in are slim, his children are doing their part to honor him the way they remember him. Tyson Murphy isn't a sports fan—he's an artist at Blizzard Entertainment, the video game developer responsible for the World of Warcraft games. But he drew his dad this doodle for Christmas, as a tribute to the man whose non-baseball exploits meant more to him.. (cont'd)

Continue to the rest of the article..

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Happy Father's Day all you Dads Out There!

My Dad and I - Father's Day 2010

That was my last Father's Day with my Dad.. It's a pretty important picture to me.


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We miss you, Dad - Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Mine

Today would've been 75, but since it's only the 2nd since you've been gone, this will go on for a few years. We miss you, but we also know you're celebrating in style.

Miss you Dad!

Yeah Masters Sunday was always a special day for me & my Dad. His birthday was April 13th, and his and my Mom's anniversary was April 6th. We were always golfing, at least up until about 2008. Whenever it was Masters weekend, or also U.S. Open weekend, the time with my father was incredibly special. The U.S. Open almost always coincided with Father's Day. Any major as a matter of fact got us going. The British Open is usually right around my birthday, too.



I have no doubt that the most beautiful golf course in the world, Augusta National, probably pales in comparison with the most beautiful golf courses Dad's been playing.

I love you, and I miss you!

Dream Theater - "Honor Thy Father" - Synched Movie Samples

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Life with Dad

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I miss you, Dad!!

(insert   age) years ~ Life sucks without you!

Jack & Smokes

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Happy Birthday Dad!

We know 74 & beyond would've been really tough for you, but we still wish you were here with us. We're gonna send some balloons up your way later today, and will be thinking about you! Life is just not the same without you. I miss you terribly, but I am confident you're celebrating this particular April 13th in a special way! I love you!

Dad

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Yeah I really miss you, Dad!

Thank you!

Probably close to none of my readers were the ones who escalated this number to what it is today, but I send a heartfelt thank you to all.


Click to see better..

Combined with almost dozen CDs I sent out, this is close to 100 people who chose to keep a copy of my father's slide show memorial. Not only is this touching, and I'm sure it is also to my Mom, but it certainly adds a lot of value to each and every tear I've shed.

Simply A Masterpiece

The Canadian Tenors - Hallelujah by Kaina

My father's favorite song this summer. It is now mine. I have it on infinite loop inside my head ever since his death. And I can't stop listening to it. Not sharing this would be a travesty.

There are dozens of versions, and I do like a couple of them, but The Canadian Tenors have created a masterpiece which has found a very, very special place in my heart. I have no doubt my father is enjoying it with me.

Les Koontz Memorial Slideshow

If anyone wants to download the slide show from my father's funeral, here is the link:

Les Koontz Memorial

He was a good man, and I miss him terribly.

Eulogy For My Father

Obviously I have been forced to deal with a sudden death in my family. My dad has been sick for a long time. In and out of the hospital for years now. He has always bounced back strong! The roller-coaster kept us so posistive for so many years. I want a new car. A new motorcycle. Walker? Cane? Hoverround?

It doesn't matter.

I want to go out. But why can't I do what I want to do?? I just wanna go!

A lotta wounds. Skin-tears.. WAIT! OK ok..

Stitch me up.. Do what you gotta do.

Did you watch the tourney today? Yeah. These guys...

I know.

Going out on his hoverround, he was lost for an hour or so. Safely found in my driveway, and happily talking on the phone, for some reason he was carefree.

Too many times he was the opposite of carefree. On the course, he was center-of-the-fairway all the time. He practiced nothing but the most solid of relationships with her. I'm ok but can you bring it to me?

Of course.

I will do everything I have to do for you my love. You are my light, my spirit, and my everything.

No, don't take me to the ER. It'll be fine. Wounds heal. Sometimes I am a stubborn man. You're fine for now.

You gotta go. They're simply not healing.

These couple of stitches will do the trick. What's this wound from? And what happened here?

I'm in deep, I guess. What's going on? I want to go home!

Please come rescue me - I don't wanna be here. We're here for you. You need to eat!!

Sweet! It's Ray! I'm so... Dad, are you ok? Hey there it's Steph! You look so good, I thought you were trying to tell us something. Here's dinner.

Yeah I'm hungry. This bed is pissing me off! So uncomfortable.. But hey - Can you turn me?

This is good. Can I have some more pudding? Domino misses you. Honey talk to me. His eyes are dialated. Don't you think? He's fine.

I think he's telling all of us that he feels fine. He may, but he may be trying to tell us something else.

We didn't make it in time, as close as we were.

This time there were just too many holes in the dam when pneumonia set in for about the 12th time in his life. You can plug them, and plug them, and finally the leak is too much stronger than the plugs.

Too weak to swallow, too weak to talk, too weak to clear his lungs, and too weak to even eat, he decided his time had come. Smiling at every possible occasion which seemed fresh to him, my father fought the fight that I've never ever witnessed. And yeah - he had done this for years! Wondering why his body had not failed him on many occasions, he persevered so much that a half dozen doctors were dumbfounded.

Can we go play tomorrow? I heard him say this to me more times than I really gave him credit for. Why haven't I died? I can't enjoy anything anymore. I just don't understand why I haven't died. What's going on?

Please get me out of here.

Your mom is losing it, I think. She tells me one thing and then another. I remind her of something, and then she forgets. Mom is fine, Dad. You need to suck it up, be strong, and show her how much she means to you. Dad?

I have a tee time for Thursday.. Ray and I and whoever else you want will be there. "You'll never do better until you slow your swing down," he said that day. That day was the first time in my life I broke 80. Not 3 months later he witnessed my 72 at Starcke.

My father and I shared so many great times in the garage. Frustrated, I'd always tell him "I got it".. but he always got it right. But he was usually wrong. Knowing he was right, my calculations always ended up the same as his. Dad's workshop was hallowed ground in my mind. The time he and I spent together in the garage is priceless.

I love you, you know? "Yeah". We'll be back tomorrow...





My father chose his path. I'm going out how I wanna go out. Stop looking at me. We are all here for you, you have got to eat and become stronger so you can come home.

I'm sorry honey. I don't mean to be this way to you. My body... well you know.





I wish things had been different during my father's last days, but I am confident he did it his way.

For you Dad

It goes without saying. It touches without meaning to. Dad, I love you and miss you so much - I am already looking forward to the day I can see you again.

I'm Gonna Miss You Terribly, Dad

In Loving Memory

Les Koontz
April 13, 1937 - September 12, 2010

The 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

Source


Hey, it's pretty simple. The golf course won. Guys had their chances early during the back-9. As soon as 54-hole leader Dustin Johnson tripled the 2nd hole, doubled the 3rd, and bogeyed the 4th, his score of 6-under for the tourney was suddenly EVEN. Guys like Tiger, Phil, and Ernie Els were all breathing down his neck, but he obviously felt some pressure that didn't exist during his last two back-to-back victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach tourneys the last two Februaries.

2010 US Open Champ, Graeme
McDowell with his father - Source

Graeme McDowell stayed solid, and the "big guns" only shot blanks for the most part. McDowell was able to win the tournament with a final-round 3-over par 74. How can this be?

Well like I said, the golf course won. I enjoyed the tournament, and the final round could've been better had some of these guys made a serious run. However, no one in the last half-dozen pairings shot anything lower than 71. Sure Matt Kuchar and Ben Curtis shot final-round 68's, but they were well behind beforehand.

After all was said and done, Phil and Ernie carded 73's, and Tiger shot 75, but apparently the viewers didn't like this. I don't really understand why, but I did happen to run across this poll at ESPN dot com. So I voted, and then took a screenshot of the results -- in preparation for this post.

Take a look at the poll:

















Click to enlarge..

Like Father Like Son

How awesome would this be if you could see that the man's eyes were also closed?

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Father Of The Year

Click to enlarge
Source