My Dad, Jack Williams.

Here is my Dad, Jack, known as Jackie when younger.

His father's name was John, and he was named John, but called Jackie to differentiate. 

Isn't he handsome?

 He has always been a spiffy dresser. He liked to wear a suit and tie to church, and he has never worn a pair of jeans in his life! I wanted to buy him a pair when I had my first job, but he said no way. All his life he's been a hard worker. He was a fork lift shipper at Glidden Paints for 30 years. When he left for work each day at 7:30 am he would grab his lunch bucket in which my mom had placed two sandwiches (one of which was always peanut butter and jam) and a banana and apple, plus dessert, and he would give us a kiss, run down the wooden stairs into the basement, and yell "Bye, be good!" He'd return home at 5:30 pm, and my Mom would have a delicious hot meal ready. We'd always eat together around the kitchen table. 6 of us would squeeze in. Dad's job was wiping the table down after the meal, and doing the dishes, until Leona and I were old enough to do them. Dad was a member of the church choir, and an usher, and he took his duties seriously. Every Wednesday night he would shave and dress up in his suit and head to Bible study. He never missed a meeting. He also drove the church bus for Sunday School when he was younger, and he was involved in street meetings (when they had them many years ago) and in the Seaman's work at the docks. He would read his Bible each evening in the kitchen, and get up early to pray in the mornings in the living room. I've always felt surrounded by his love and care for me and our family. I'm blessed to have had a Dad like him. Although he was quiet and not very talkative when I was growing up, recently in his senior years (due to his blindness) I'm getting to know him very well, as he enjoys talking and he has a phenomenal memory for things in the past. Happy Father's Day, Dad! God bless you!

Jack met his sweetheart, Susie Brutke, in Oregon in 1955 and married her later that year.

She moved to Canada, where all their children were born.

Here is my Dad in his workshop at 3382 Monmouth Avenue in Vancouver BC, just before they moved after selling their house in 1998. They lived there for 35 years.

I always loved my Dad's workshop. It was filled with quite an array of stuff!

Dad would often listen to his radio while working here. Just past it was the cellar where my Mom kept vegetables and fruit and all her canned jars of preserves.

I'm thankful for my precious memories.

By Loretta Houben