We will honor my father today in a memorial service that will celebrate his life.

For more than three hours last night our family received hundreds of visitors who wanted to pay their respect, honor my dad and support our family. The handshakes, hugs and stories shared provided us all an opportunity to reflect on a life lived to the fullest.  In the saddest of moments there was also plenty of joy.  My dad simply knew no stranger.

The cards, calls, comments, food, flowers and love from near and far have provided so much strength.

Saying thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but it shouldn’t go without saying that the kindness, care, consideration and compassion is deeply appreciated.

Today I am going to honor my father by attempting to say a few words during this service.  Preparing a few thoughts with my brother and sister has produced more tears and laughter than I could have ever imagined.  I know the sharing of those thoughts won’t be much different and I will be asking for the strength.  Several people have mentioned to my brother and I that it might be too difficult to talk under these circumstances and we could feel free to prepare something for the Minister to read.  They are probably right.  Funny thing is that isn’t something we even considered.  We both know exactly what our dad would have said about that and true to form we are definitely our father’s sons.

I also know that today is about celebrating a special man who lived a rather extraordinary life.  That will definitely mean having a a few laughs and telling a good story.  My dad would have liked that.

I am so very proud to be his son.

The following tribute was published in yesterday’s Record Courier:

Recalling former Flashes basketball standout Hal Estis.