Thursday, November 7, 2024
I'm proud to call Frank Day my father-in-law. He was a kind, gentle man who was good to people. I took joy in watching him be a Grandpa to Daria and Emmy. I have many fond memories. Our family likes to spend time together playing different types of games. I remember when the girls were toddlers we went camping in Frank and Ruth's RV in the Adirondacks. There were several days of playing "candy land" at the table in the RV. As the girls got older a common game we played was called "Zonkers." It's a dice game that involves luck and risk. This was a game Jenny played with her family when she was young so it was new to me. For such a simple game there sure was a lot of laughter and fun with this game! This was the game that made Frank laugh the hardest I've ever seen. I don't remember the circumstances but I remember him laughing so hard you couldn't see his eyes because his face scrunched up so much. And the need to take a breath would have to wait, because the laughter was taking priority. I can remember in the early years after his stroke he could still get out and play golf. We played together a handful of times on the local par 3 course and he always beat me. Also his drives were also much farther than mine. Granted, I don't play golf often but it was very impressive to watch him swing the club with one arm while keeping his balance! He had a suction cup type tool on the handle of his club that he would use to get the ball out of the cup. I remember in the early years a ride in his boat on the Mohawk River. I remember several visits to the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve. This was a popular place for Frank to go with his dog Sully. I remember Frank shouting to Sully to stay out of the stinky water. I remember meeting Sully for the first time and gently petting him. Later, I learned that Frank commented to Jenny that I "don't know how to pet a dog." This made me laugh. I guess I was too gentle to such a big dog. I grew up with smaller dogs. I remember Frank would enjoy playing with Buster, his cat, with is cane from the chair in the living room. As Frank aged I remember during our visits to Clifton Park, I would join Frank to play billiards at the senior center. He had made a little notched wood tool to help hold the pool cue. I can remember at the end of a dinner there would be talk of a dessert. Jenny would ask her dad if he wanted something and he would reply something to the extend of "Well I guess maybe some ice cream." And Jenny and I would comment over the years that his answers always had that "Impish grin" behind them. For me, the subtext was always that he was deciding whether or not to have a dessert. But we knew, and his grin said, he was gong to have a sweet treat. I will miss Frank.
