My father was a retired Army veteran, a devoted dad of five, bonus father to two more, and a proud grandfather to 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. His passing has left our family devastated, and we are now facing both deep grief and unexpected financial hardship.

He was the kind of man you remembered. If you had the chance to know him, you’d know how often he’d like to crack jokes. A bright smile, a laugh that filled a room, and a quiet kindness in his eyes. He loved his family fiercely, along with his dogs Bruce and Gizmo, fishing, gardening, WWE, and the simple things that made life feel full.

He also loved music. When he sang karaoke, it wasn’t for attention or to be funny—it was something genuine. He had a smooth, classic voice that reminded people of Engelbert Humperdinck and Paul Anka, the kind of voice that made you stop and listen without realizing it.

My father was the kind of man who would take the shirt off his own back to give to someone else. If you needed him, he was one call away. He showed up for people in ways that didn’t always make noise, but meant everything.

He wasn’t perfect. He carried his past, but he still tried to show love in the ways he knew how. If you knew him, you knew he could be generous, stubborn, resilient, and deeply loyal to the people he cared about.

Since 2018, my father bravely battled end-stage kidney failure along with many other serious health issues. Over the last two months, he suffered several mini-strokes in different areas of his brain, which significantly worsened his condition and added to an already long and exhausting fight. There were moments where we truly thought we had lost him long before we actually did—but he kept fighting. Long, hard, and with a strength that never really made sense until you knew how stubborn and determined he was.

Seeing such a strong, stubborn, and resilient man decline the way he did was incredibly hard for our family.

Over the last month, his health declined rapidly. He spent weeks in the hospital and later a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Even through pain and weakness, he kept going. We know the Lord carried him—and our family—through every step of this journey.

His passing came suddenly and has left our family heartbroken and unprepared.

My father was the one who helped carry our household financially, paying the mortgage and supporting us in ways we are now only fully realizing in his absence. With his passing, that responsibility has fallen on us unexpectedly, and it is now affecting our ability to stay afloat during an already devastating time.

My mother is still working full-time, doing everything she can, but the financial burden of funeral expenses and ongoing household costs is overwhelming.

We are asking for help to give him the funeral he deserves—to honor his life, his service, and the love he gave in his own way throughout the years. Any support, no matter the amount, means more than we can express. It helps lift a weight we are struggling to carry while grieving.

Thank you for reading, for your prayers, and for standing with our family during this time.