Tisha
Aug 29th at 2:21 pm

Dear Aleena, Every time I think of your dad, I can hear his voice clearly in my mind saying hello gorgeous, just as he did every time he hugged me hello. This was the wonderful, warm greeting he had for female friends and no doubt a phrase we would have heard him say to you often if he were here to watch you grow up; like the first time you come home from college, or as he prepares to walk you down the aisle on your wedding day. Your dad and I were friends for 14 years, through many stages in our lives, and I never saw him as happy as when you were born. Since my son is the same age as you, your dad and I spent a lot of time together when you were 1-2.5 years old at play dates talking about the joys (and challenges) of being parents. In all of our years of knowing each other, this was the most enjoyable time I spent with your dad, and I feel honored to have witnessed such an important part of both of your lives. He constantly glowed with the joy and excitement of being your dad, and you basked in his love and attention. Your dad always talked about how smart you were and what you were doing that was new. He was always very excited about every milestone you made. You amazed me how at just two years old you could name all of the days of the week, count to 30 and had a very strong vocabulary. Your education was very important to your dad and he worked on it as much as he could when he was home taking care of you. He was such a loving father and wanted nothing more in this world than to see you grow up. Even when it was clear that he didn't have much time left, he talked to me with hope of seeing you go to school and get married some day. Words cant express how sorry I am that you both didn't get to share in those moments. Its difficult as we grow older to keep our childhood memories fresh in our minds, but I hope that if you look inside yourself, as you get older you will see the influence he had on your early development and the love that he gave. The bond you two had was very strong and a very important foundation for becoming the wonderful woman I know you will be. You have an amazing mom and lots of family and friends who will help you remember what a great man your dad was. I will hold onto my pictures and memories for you as well, and if you ever want to talk to me about him, I would be happy to share all I have. With love, Tisha

Secil
May 9th at 10:23 pm

mommy
My little sweetie pie... this is the first time I even had courage to look at this website...even though I look fine on the surface, I am very sad and hurt deep inside. I lost John to this cruel disease, but I have you, brighten my day with your cute face when I feel blue. it breaks my heart when you talk about daddy.. I know you are trying to understand what happened and why... John loved you more than anything in this world. You were the only reason he kept fighting, he spent the most possible time with you. I will NEVER let you forget how awesome dad he was. Love you John. And Love you my little princess.

"Aunt" Alicia
Mar 18th at 5:45 pm

Dear sweet Aleena,
I want you to know that your Dad was like a brother to me. He was an amazing guy and he loved you and your Mom so very much.
He was so courageous and I never once heard him complain about his circumstances. Every time I asked how he was he said "good" or "fine" and then proceeded to ask about how my life was going. That was typical of your Dad.
He had a great sense of humor and always had a smile when I saw him. He had a big sweet tooth and he loved when I would bake treats and bring them to family get togethers.Once he came up with the idea that we should buy a donut shop that was up for sale!
But what I want you to know the most is that you were the light of his life! He wanted you to have a good foundation in place and taught you a lot in those short couple of years he had with you in this life. He loved you so much and I hope by reading about him as you get older it will help you feel some sense of peace and security.
Your Dad's spirit will always be with you. Prayers and blessings always.

Papa
Mar 15th at 4:33 pm

Aleena, your Dad was a very special person. The first two years of your life he took care of you during the day while Mom was at work. Even though he was receiving treatment for his illness, he devoted himself to your care. He enjoyed very much the time he had with you and took great pride in your upbringing. I think he did a great job. By the way you were a good little girl....most of the time.
Loyalty was a hallmark of your Dad. He was loyal to his friends, his ideals and causes. If he liked someone he would defend them and help them in any way he could. He was also very generous in giving to people who needed it and causes he believed in.
If your Dad believed in something he would not hesitate to let people know where he stood on the matter. He could be very outspoken. Strong in mind and honest in nature. He told it the way he saw it. A person's integrity and honesty were extremely important to him.
Your Dad was a prankster. He loved nothing more than to play a prank on someone. We had many laughs together over the years on the many jokes he played on people, myself included. Ask your Mother to show you the video about the "ice cream". You'll see a prank he played on you and I'm sure it will make you laugh.
When I think about other adjectives that describe your father, patriotic, courageous and hardworking come to mind. He loved his country and the principles that make it great. He displayed courage many times during his life, especially towards the end.
Was your Dad perfect? No, he was human like all of us. He was however a unique individual. A strong personality and a very "good" man. You can be proud to be his daughter.
As my mother, Edeltraut(Lisa)Franke, your great grandmother would say; "You come from good stock". And so do you Aleena. Please always remember that.

'Uncle Rusty'
Mar 3rd at 12:59 am

We love you Aleena
Hello Aleena! Tomorrow we will be gathering for your dad's celebration of life. I know it hasn't been easy for you and your mom, but I also know that your dad touched a lot of lives, and that tomorrow will be a special day where we can get together and honor that impact.
I'm not sure when you'll get to read any of this, but I hope that when you do you will find a lot of people who will be able to answer any questions you have about him. He was an amazing man, and a great friend to a lot of people. You brought him so much joy, I just want you to know that he absolutely adored you and was so proud to be your dad. Being able to be with you for the short time he had put an extra sparkle in his eye.

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