More Dad
2009-06-16 2:43 a.m.
Mark Neal Edelbrock Mark Edelbrock, 64, passed away on June 8, 2009 in Tacoma, Washington. He was born to Avis and the late Aloys Edelbrock on June 29, 1944 in Seattle, Washington. He married Phyllis Newton in Tacoma in 1965. Mark was a Seattle Firefighter for 34 years. He was one of the original EMTs to serve Seattle, retiring in 1999 as a Captain piloting the fireboats. Mark served in the US Army Reserve and Washington National Guard as an air traffic controller and helicopter pilot. In 1981 he was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service during the Mt. St. Helens search and rescue efforts as the Tactical Field Operations Officer. Mark was twice called to testify before Congress on the extent of the eruption's devastation. After 28 years of service Mark retired as a Lt. Colonel. Mark was very active in his community and served as Assistant Water Superintendent on Day Island for over 20 years. He was also an avid Pierce County Master Gardener and honored as an outstanding Pierce County Volunteer in 2002. Mark is survived by his mother Avis Miller, his wife Phyllis Edelbrock, his two children Sydney and Philip Edelbrock, and his two brothers Gary and Craig Edelbrock. Mark has requested no formal memorial service, but rather a gathering of family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Franciscan Hospice.
My mom did a really nice job capturing all the neat things my dad did in his life. Also, another picture of me and dad that I like. This one is more recent than the last:
My Father.
2009-06-08 6:46 p.m.
My brother called me this morning and told me that my father died. He was diagnosed a year and a half ago with brain cancer. Up until last month he lived at home and got up every morning at 6:00am and made himself breakfast and logged onto the computer. Then he suddenly started feeling bad and he went into the hospital. My mom called my brother and I and we went up to T-town to say our goodbyes (so we thought) and after a night of his heart beating so slowly and the doctors saying it was going to stop, he managed to pull through. In fact once they quit running their freaking tests on him and fed him, he perked up quite a bit. He knew who we were and my last words to him were "I love you." Which I think is kind of cool. After the hospital he couldn't go home. He needed 24 hour care and my mother is too small to lift him or move him. My mom found the best hospice in the county and went every single day to spend morning, lunch and afternoon with him. I was told he didn't eat much last week, in fact my mom smuggled in Hagen Das ice cream for him. I'm sure the nurses were a bit confused about his glucose readings.
I'm so tired, I'm so sad, I'm so exhausted. It's not fair, is it? I fucking hate cancer. I miss my dad. He was the best.
