Dad was an Austin cop for 29 years before retiring in 1989 to "go to sea" as he liked to say.

Moving to Galveston in 1989 he became an integral part of the tall ship "Elissa" through literally thousands of hours of volunteer time helping to maintain, sail and display the 1877 square-rigged sailing vessel. Friends he made in Galveston would give him the moniker "Longjack" from Kipling and ultimately invite him to sail vessels berthed all over the United States including the bald-headed schooner Victory Chimes in Rockland, Maine, the "Kalmar Nyckel", the reproduction of the brig "U.S.S. Niagara" in Erie, Pennsylvania and the "Pinta" in Corpus Christi, Texas.

An accomplished marlinespike sailor, he knew eight different ways to tie a bowline knot and possessed a library of knot encyclopedias and books. He taught himself celestial navigation and shot many a LOP. Dad was a skilled helmsman under both power and sail and helped deliver the 65' sport fisherman "Wendy's Reel Adventure" from San Diego, California through the Panama Canal to Galveston and as a deckhand/helmsman on Rice University's seismic research vessel "R/V Lone Star" on many, many trips to Belize, southern Florida and along the TEXAS gulf coast

A showman to the core, his favorite thing was to entertain with rope tricks and fancy rope work. An outgrowth of this was participation at the Texas Folklife Festival with a booth appropriately called "Arts of the Sailor" which gave visitors a glimpse into the sailor's life with hands-on exhibits on navigation history, rope work and sailing.

Not willing to hang up his volunteer hat after a little brush with skin cancer, he found an indoor home at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston. Supporting LSFM's airshows by running the airshow's trash collection operations was one of the many ways Dad selflessly volunteered. He also traveled to Oshkosh in LSFM's B-17 "Thunderbird" on several occasions, logging left-seat time on the way to and from that famous airshow.

In 2006, he and his wife Cindy became permanent residents of Berry Hill Farm, looking after the place for us before Colleen and I moved here. Cindy, a recognized museum professional, preceded him in death in March '08.

Moving to the farm was full circle for Dad because as a child he'd spent summers on his uncle's polled Hereford ranch outside Jacksboro, Texas working cattle and living the ranch life. Dad truly loved living and working here at the farm and it wasn't that long ago that he helped me construct what we believe to be the first strawbale structure in Milam county, our wellhouse and would go out twice a year on "Pear Patrol" to locate and eradicate the prickly pear cactus on the farm.

A hard days work was almost always rewarded with a whiskey and Coke and an evening session of 'holding court' on his front porch, watching the sunset, the barred owls flying the creek and livestock grazing here at the farm. Many of the world's problems were solved in those sessions.

I'll miss you Dad!

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Oh man. Losing my Dad was way tougher than I thought it would be, that in 2000.

All the best, my condolonces please.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Sorry to hear this news Randy - my condolences and prayers go out to you and the family. That is a very well written eulogy.

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Sorry to hear about your Dad. He lived a rich life.

__________________
You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have cross'd the bar.

Alfred Tennyson

My sincere condolences.

a well written eulogy for a well lived life. it seems he could be a model for the rest of us.

i am sorry for your loss.

__________________
1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

Sorry to hear you dad passed. It sounds like he was quite a guy. Do what I am doing now for my family and record or write down all the things you remember about him, and the rest of your family, so there is a history for future generations to enjoy and get a feeling that they knew him.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

I put these words from Shakespeare's play Cymbeline, which I found in a song by Loreena McKennit, on the program for my Dad's funeral. One old gal said it brought her to tears:

Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winters' rages.
Thou thy worldly task hast done
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages.
Golden lads and girls all must
As chimney-sweepers come to dust.
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' th' great,
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke.
Care no more to clothe and eat,
To thee the reed is as the oak.
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.
All lovers young, all lovers must,
consign to thee and come to dust.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Very sorry for your loss.

__________________

1983 300D

I am sorry for your loss but happy for you that you lived your whole life knowing this man.
I hope my kids write such things of me when I'm gone but after reading this, the things I've managed to accomplish seem pale.
Every man dies but not every man lives. Sounds like your Dad lived.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

Sorry about your loss. Here's to celebrating life!

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

My deepest condolences.

He lived life to its fullist, he really is a model for us all.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Thank you for the Tennyson, the Bard and condolences, it shows that you are all a part of my/our extended family.

I believe that now, I shall go on the deck and hoist a bourbon in his honor.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

My condolences from my immediate and extended family.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you were around him a lot before he passed away and were there to say good bye.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6