[PenultimateManStanding]

My father, who was a kind and brilliant man, is passed away. He was in many ways the culmination, the high point, of a long time American family. He was studying electronics at UC Berkeley when WWII broke out. He tried to enlist in the military but was 4f because of medical conditions. He wound up in San Diego designing electronic circuitry for radar equipment used in the war effort. My uncle told me stories about him. This uncle was also an engineer but not of the same caliber.The stories were to the effect of what an amazingly talented man my dad was. Now dad, much to my regret, hardly ever talked to me about what he did. One time when we were talking about science, he did say that these young engineers were doing things too much by the book, in a formulaic manner, and that he, when he used to do real engineering (something he evidently missed a great deal) used intuition as well as mathematics.My uncle said, with a tone of awe, that dad could visualize complex electronic circuitry in his imagination and would know beforehand what would work. He was a maverick and when he was promoted to managment he went far indeed. The radar landing equipment for the Apollo landers was built by his team here in San Diego. But he was much happier when he was doing the creative stuff himself. Happy Father's Day, Dad, wherever you are.

[Jack]

A beautiful tribute!

[PenultimateManStanding]

Once, because of the influence of my uncle, I asked dad if he really used all the mathematics he studied. His answer was, 'every bit of it'.

[PenultimateManStanding]

He certainly had his faults. Once when I was a little boy, I asked him "Dad, what's a broad?" He told me to go ask my mother. We tend to see the faults of our parents I guess. I get nothing but love and warmth from my kids. But when we play Risk, my son goes after me with a vengeance and completely ignores what his sisters are doing. Funny thing is, one of the sisters usually wins.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Now when we play Chinese Checkers, I always win. There is another game we play. You stand in front of your opponent with palms up. The object is to push the opponent off their feet. You can also get them off their feet by withdrawing your palms right as they are pushing and thereby getting them to lose their balance. My hot-shot grown athelete daughter can't beat me at this game.

[EdF]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'N')ow when we play Chinese Checkers, I always win. There is another game we play. You stand in front of your opponent with palms up. The object is to push the opponent off their feet. You can also get them off their feet by withdrawing your palms right as they are pushing and thereby getting them to lose their balance. My hot-shot grown athelete daughter can't beat me at this game.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EdF', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'N')ow when we play Chinese Checkers, I always win. There is another game we play. You stand in front of your opponent with palms up. The object is to push the opponent off their feet. You can also get them off their feet by withdrawing your palms right as they are pushing and thereby getting them to lose their balance. My hot-shot grown athelete daughter can't beat me at this game.

[EdF]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'T')he 'can do' spirit, is it gone? Have we lost 'the force'?

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'M')y father, who was a kind and brilliant man, is passed away. He was in many ways the culmination, the high point, of a long time American family.