Good Byes

Good Byes are never easy. We just received news the beginning of the week that the man responsible for all the passion of music in our family passed away. Never ever taking a music lesson a day in his life, yet he could play any song you asked him to play. Even if he didn’t know it so long as you could hum the tune he could play it.

Passing up an offer to play with one of the most popular Country Western bands of their time, to marry my Aunt and raise 4 children. Yet, he never had any regrets over his decision. He was a hard working husband and father. Yet, I know for many of us we will always remember him for his passion to play music.

I have many very fond memories of my Uncle Bob, but I think there are two that stand out over all of them.

• When I was about 6 years old, we were at my Aunt and Uncle’s house for our usual family night of cards and music. Uncle Bob always went around the room and asked everyone for their favorite song. He then played the song while you sang it. I was the last person to be asked, and this was my very first time being asked for my favorite song. I was so nervous because the only song I could think of was “Say Say Ole Playmate” Uncle Bob said, “I don’t know that song, but if you sing it Debs, I will try to play it.” So together we sang and played that song. I felt so proud to be apart of this special tradition and to be singing with my Uncle.
• This picture above, was at the end of Uncle Bob’s music playing days. We were celebrating my brother and sister-in-law’s 25th wedding anniversary. Though by this time Uncle Bob didn’t remember the words of the songs as well as he use to, he didn’t refuse our family one last encore. He invited the fiddle player to join him to help make his music sound a bit better, though we would have thought it sounded great even without her, and had his wife hold the words to all the songs he couldn’t remember. This was a wonderful surprise present for my entire family as he kept this a total secret that he was going to actually entertain this night.

Uncle Bob, everyone loved you. You will be missed by us all. You will however live on through the passion of music you gave to all of us. For now I will just say farewell.