My Father

My father had every reason in the world to blame his circumstances and use those circumstances to make poor choices in his life.   He was the product of an alcoholic father.  His parents fought constantly and eventually divorced, and his younger brother (and only sibling) was sick all the time and died at a young age.  To top it off, he lived through the Great Depression.  Had it not been for his aunt, my dad would have had no one giving him any direction in life.

My dad determined early in life to rise above the example set for him.  He joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18 and served until World War II ended.  After the war, he attempted to enroll in college in Chicago; however, the college was full,  so he went to Port Arthur, TX to study radio engineering.  Before graduating, the radio station manager from Sweetwater, TX called the school and asked if they had any graduates.  They said no, but they had a man they thought could pass the test.  He did, and he moved to Sweetwater.  While there, he learned how to fly and obtained his pilot’s license.   He then decided to go back to school and moved to Wichita Falls and began attending Midwestern State University; however, while sitting in class he realized how much money he could be making working.  So, he quit school and began working two jobs.  He moved to Abilene, TX and took a job as a radio engineer/announcer.  While there he married my mother, and then they moved to Snyder, TX, where he became the manager of the radio station.

Always looking for ways to earn more money, he opened a photography studio and camera shop.  At some point he began taking pictures for an advertising company who created advertising for Mooney Aircraft.  He realized that he was doing all the work, but the advertising company was making more of the money.  He then bought into Private Pilot, a national aviation magazine.  Eventually, he bought General Aviation News, a 12-page newspaper that catered to private pilots.  At the time of his death, the newspaper was a 64-page newspaper.

Nothing scared him or overwhelmed him.  If he couldn’t do something but wanted to learn how, he figured it out.  He learned how to watercolor and play the organ as an adult and became very good at both.

But, more than professional achievements, my father was a man of integrity who had a huge heart.  People everywhere loved him.  He had the ability to walk into a room full of strangers and leave best friends.  He hated conflict and was a true peacemaker.  He helped a lot of children do things they would otherwise never be able to do.  He loved his family and took great care of us making sure we had opportunities to succeed.  He exposed us to art museums, classical music concerts, and plays.  He loved to travel and took us to exciting places.  Christian education was important to him, and he sent all of his children (five of us) to Lubbock Christian University. 

Unfortunately, he died at the young age of 51, but he lived all 51 years to the fullest with passion and purpose.  He proved that circumstances don’t determine your path.  You determine your path.  You can rise above anything and be anything you want to be.  There are no excuses in life, only hard work and determination.  Find your passion and go after it!

Blessings,

Penny Fell