Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Aunt Marian, so sorry! To Paul and John, remember your good times with your dad. I remember mine.
He was so well mannered. So polite. Never an unfriendly word or gesture towards anyone.
He bought me my first model. It was the Apollo 11 command and lunar modules, with a piece of the moon. We built it. Then he brought home Sputnik. We built it. Then came Mercury, Gemini, Star Trek Enterprise and Klingon battle cruiser. Lunar rover from 2001 a Space Odyssey. A bunch of space models. We used to talk about how cool it would be to build these things and have them fly. Drones today! We talked about Star Trek being the future, with the communicators (cellphones), a computer in every house, and phasers. (Stun devices today, close enough).
I remember the "Zuit Suit."
I remember him playing the piano. He was really good at it.
I remember when my Uncle Paul, along with Uncle Andy and my mom, helped me build a castle made out of playdough. It was awesome when we finished it. The castle was elevated, on a 2 by 3 ft sheet of plywood. Must have weighed 50 lbs. It was actually Uncle Paul's idea for the playdough. My dad and Uncle Andy had to carry it to the car. Then into St. John's, in Vailsburg. I was in the 4th grade, and I got an A that quarter. :-)
One time, as he was an awesome golfer, we met him at a driving range. We had lunch, burger and coke, then drove some balls. As he was standing behind me, I swung, missed, but hit the ball on the back swing. That was funny. So was the look on Uncle Paul's face, as he walked away. I missed him.
Then I upset him. We went to the put put, and I dropped a ball into an exhaust pipe that came out of the ground. I thought the ball would sit on the top and I could hit it off. I got spanked by my mom.
And him coming home from a Florida vacation, with a seashell or two. And listening to the ocean when you held it up to your ear. Way too cool! So many wonderful memories growing up with him.
We shall all miss him. Eternal Memory!
Eternal rest grant unto Paul Kica, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Your loving nephew,
Geoff Gawdun
