GOODBYE UNCLE DAN...GOODBYE 2009.......

Well, yesterday was both sad and joyful. Sad that Uncle Dan is no longer here, joyful when we all started to tell our individual memories of Uncle Dan.
My Uncle Dan passed away December 27th after a lengthy lung problem. He was the twin of my Aunt Eleanor that passed away on August 29th.

There was a wonderful insert in Uncle Dan's funeral program and I have attempted to include part of it with this post.

Uncle Dan and Aunt Mickey were my favourite, favourite uncle and aunt.
They had five children of their own and took in a nephew whose mother abandoned him when he was quite young. Over the years, they opened their home to more people that needed temporary refuge.
As a kid, I spent most of my time with these particular cousins. We would go out to my Aunt Mickey's family farm and made so much fun with very little. We would play hide and seek in the corn stalks, go in the barn and jump for hours in the hay, had bonfires and roast marshmallows, walk along the river, and so on and so on...wonderful memories.
My Uncle Dan had one of the most contagious laughs ever! He really loved to laugh. He was indeed the family 'mad scientist'. He invented many things that probably should have been patented. If he couldn't find a tool to do a certain job, he'd make it. He was a card carrying pack rat. He was always fixing things for any member of the 'family' that needed it. He was a wealth of knowledge about our geneology, and loved history and geography. The 'talents' have passed down a generation. My brother is definitely the 'mad inventor' and my cousin 'Pat'(his daughter) is now the geneology nut.

Uncle Dan was my Dad's brother and they are not one bit alike. It's so strange that in this family thus far, they've passed away in reverse order beginning with the youngest. Although Uncle Dan and Aunt Eleanor were twins. Aunt Eleanor was born a couple of minutes before he arrived. Uncle Dan was a quiet and unassuming man, but so genuine. He was stubborn as all get out, meticulous about anything he did and an absolute sponge learning everything about the stuff he was interested in. He loved simple pleasures. I'd bring him Australian licorice every now and then and he'd get so excited. He'd tell me, "Now, that's REAL licorice!"

Uncle Dan was an amazing father to all five of his kids. He ALWAYS had time for each one of them, doing various and sundry things, depending on the child he was spending time with at that moment. He'd cut out horse heads from old plywood, affix an old broom handle, add a mane with old mop heads and they'd have a horse to gallop around.

He will be missed by all. If I sit quiet for a minute, I can recall that wonderful infectious laugh. Rest in peace, Uncle Dan.