In Memoram

Ronald Reagan has died. Of course, he'd had alzheimers for God knows how long, so actually death was a relief.
I really have no positive feelings, memories of the man. He wasn't 1/10th the man my dad was!
My dad, William Jesse McAbee, born in Clinton, OK, January 3rd(or 4th), 1919. Loved swing music. He told me he wanted a Zoot Suit when he was in high school (when I was a kid, his high school was a junior high, but I haven't been back in 20 years), but his mother said no.
His mother, Lib, was the original SuperMom, divorced, raised 2 kids, worked so long for the City of Clinton, when she died, the city declared a holiday. Had a spotless (sterile) house, and cared for everyone but herself.
Daddy was the first to go to college, Southwestern State in Weatherford. He learned to fly. He was in the Army Air Corps, later the Air Force. He told me he was at a movie in San Antonio on Pearl Harbor Day, and was called back to base. He fixed airplanes in the South Pacific in WWII, and then at Tinker AFB until he retired (bleeding ulsers and hemophilia don't really go together). I can't tell you much about his first marriage, except it was short and childless.
When I was little, I had Mama retell how she and Daddy met all the time. It's a great story. Even if it is only one paragraph.
Me: Mama how did you meet Daddy?
Mama: Well, your Uncle David worked at Tinker then. One day he came home and said, "I've met the Man for you!" He kept pestering me and pestering me until I just gave up and agreed to go out with him. Darned if he wasn't right!
Me: (grins)
And no, Mama wasn't as good as Grandmother at keeping house, but as I understand it, she kinda lost her temper, and asked him if he liked living in a sterile house. He had to admit, no, he didn't actually like a house so spotless as to be sterile (I know Grandmother's house was hell for me- you know, the one dirt jumps on). And while this was Mama's first and only marriage, that doesn't mean she didn't have baggage. Mama's family. You know there is not one picture, in Mama's wedding album, of Grandma (Mama's Grandmother) smiling. Mama said Grandma was afraid she wasn't going to be taken care of anymore. Daddy got a lifelong partner, Mama got the man of her dreams, Mama's family got the responsible man who may have wanted to run far away, but didn't.
I had a fantastic Daddy. Not perfect. Not touchy-feely. But fantastic - a real renaissance man. He was into radio-controlled models, first airplanes, then boats. He painted beautiful landscapes as a kid. He could build. He was okay at fixing cars, but usually took it to a mechanic.
Late in life, Daddy told me he regretted not hugging us enough.
Oh, Daddy!!