In Memory

One year ago today, Jody’s dad – Mac – was buried. On a cold Wyoming winter day under very cold and windy conditions. Ironically, fitting to him, in a grave he chose that is located on a wind-swept prairie with a view of the far off Snowy Range that he loved.

Mac was raised in Iowa, moved to Wyoming in 1959. Like me, he adopted the West and had a fierce love for it. It was something we had in common.

And he was a story teller. Amongst the best I’ve ever known. I sat for countless hours listening to his stories about his Navy time, construction projects, people he’d known… and loved every minute.

He had an incredible and inscrutable love for family. Proud of all his children, but the deepest love he had was for Theany, his wife of more than 50 years. One thing was clear- mess with Theany and you’d have to answer to Mac. Something no one with any intelligence would want to do.

He was keen on “making memories”. Memories of camping at Vedawoo, climbing rocks, Christmases (when he always seemed to know what his present was before he opened it) or shooting down the Easter Bunny. And he loved to laugh.

I spent a lot of time with him, worked in his shop that he was quite rightly proud of, listened to countless stories, and came to know and love this brusque, straight-talking, fiercely loving man. Through more than 20 years, I came to know that I had qualified to meet his standard of a “measure of a man”.

That means a lot to me.

So Mac – rest well. You’ve earned it through your love, devotion and just plain hard work.

We miss you.