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Happy Father's Day and Juneteenth Weekend!
Lots of celebrations this weekend.
That is what Mother's Day and Father's Day have become not a one day celebration but a whole weekend of activities! Restaurants will be crowded all weekend long, brunches, special menus, and of course special prices. If you go out this weekend check if you have to make reservations.
Traditional Fathers, Single fathers, Stepfathers, Adopted fathers, Grandfathers, Honorary Fathers etc. all these types of fathers will be honored on Sunday. Remember our Fathers both living and deceased.
On Juneteenth we need to remember the contributions of all fathers regardless of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation who have or had held their families together despite good and not so good economic times and discrimination.
As a proud Grandfather who will be a Grandfather again in less than 9 months I always look forward to a text, call, or visit with our Daughter, Son in law and Grandson. Just an acknowledgment of the day goes a long way. It's also a day where we also stop and remember our own Fathers both living and decreased. There isn't a day where we don't think about the little things that make him.
I always think 0f our Dad Dr John (Jack) Edward Williams. He was born on the Northside of Pittsburgh to Dr Charles W. Williams born in Mars PA, who was a Doctor having his practice on the Northside and was a Surgeon and later visited patients as a GP at St John's and Allegheny General Hospitals for over 50 years and Ruth W Williams born in Beaver PA, who was a Teacher in her younger days.
He graduated from Oliver Highschool in 1951. Graduated with a B.A. from Gettysburg College in 1955 and Dental School from Temple University in 1957. While in college he was involved in Army ROTC and a fraternity and was drafted into the Army and obtained the rank of Captain serving as a Dentist for two years in Germany. He met our mother while on leave in Vienna Austria. There he met our mother Ilse, who was born and raised in Vienna, and daughter of Alois and Leopoldine Richnovsky both employed by the Austrian Government in the Finance and Justice ministries respectively .
Our parents were married in Vienna in 1960. They returned to the US and our Dad opened his own Dental practice in the steel town of Aliquippa PA northwest of Pittsburgh for a few years later in 1965 my Dad took over his Uncle's dental practice in Glenshaw PA north of Pittsburgh and continued the Dental practice until 1989 when he passed away.
He loved to play Golf on a weekly basis with his colleagues and golf bubbies. He was a Deacon and Elder at Glenshaw Presbyterian Church. He loved to travel with us of course to see our Mom's Mom and Dad, Brother, and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins in Austria. Him and our Mom were world travelers. They went on cruises and attended Dental conventions in the countries of Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Hungry, Brazil, etc.
He also loved to ski and fish. As a young man him and his brother Charles Jr. spent Summers with their parents on Canadohta Lake in Northwestern PA and Bemis Point on Chautauqua Lake in Northwest New York. They fished mostly for Musky. In 1945 their trip to Lake Chautauqua was featured in the local newspaper in Mars PA near Pittsburgh where their Grandparents lived because of the size of Musky they caught at that time.
From the late mid 1950's to 1970 he would venture with his parents and Brother and later with families for a annual fishing expedition to Georgian Bay off Lake Huron in Ontario Canada. I spent two summers there each time for a week living on a island going out to finish for small mouth bass, northern pike, and walleye.
He was a tough Dad to deal with and not very talkative but always encouraging me in all of my education and career pursuits. After our parents divorced he came quite a few times to Northern VA and Maryland where I lived and spent time with my sister Sharon and I. He passed so young at 57 in 1989. I think about him often and what he might think that I am now going to be a Grandfather for the second time.
If you especially in Spotsylvania are interested in sharing with us your comments, articles, pictures, or a feature story about your father. I publish them for you over the next several weeks.
John L Williams, Editor
