Many of you already know that early on January 19th my father passed away. For those of you who may be finding out through this note I'm sorry this is the way you were informed of this news. I'm simply very glad that I had the chance to spend the whole previous weekend with him.
I find that random memories and stories pop into my head since that day. One such story is when dad and I were playing the seventh hole on our community golf course. A terribly hard hole, blind t-shot, sloping fairway, rock hard green - a hole that just eats up successful rounds of golf.
We were in the fairway waiting to hit our next shots (my second, his third) when a ball rolled between us. We looked around but didn't see anyone since they were over the hill, still back on the tee. So dad proceeded to help the tee shot by picking up the ball and throwing it forward another 30 to 40 yards. When the group behind us got to crest of the hill and realized their one tee shot was way beyond us they started to apologize. Of course Dad's reply was, 'No - no need to apologize - that was a fantastic drive - holy cow you hit the daylights out of it - boy I wish that was my drive!'
After we finished out that hole and made our way up the hill to the next tee dad just said, 'I bet he'll always remember the day he hit a 300+ yard drive.' and he had a big smile on his face.
The following is from my brother. He crafted this wonderful remembrance of our dad - I hope you enjoy it.1/23/09
My family and I thank you for your thoughts and prayers and for being with us today.
Our father passed away peacefully and was able to do so on his own terms (after seeing the Steelers clinch the AFC title and before seeing another Democrat in the White House). I wonder if Franklin Delano Roosevelt knows what he is in for. There’s going to be some lively Thanksgiving dinners in Heaven.
Many things help to define a man. One of those things is his work. Bob Steele was a Canvas Salesman. Admittedly this may not sound like the most important or exciting job in the world but, to paraphrase a commercial, "canvas was the fabric of his life."
Canvas is a strong, straight forward and hardworking fabric. It’s used to make things like awnings; awnings that protect us from harsh weather and comfort us with shade or the gentle sound of rain on a small side porch just off our kitchen. On that porch were the most comfortable chairs with awning stripe canvas seats. You never had to ask for a demonstration of the proper napping technique in those chairs.
A canvas tent became the symbol of our family vacations: it protected us from the mosquitoes and sun of Cape Hetaeras, gave us shelter after retracing every single step of the battle of Gettysburg, and served as a visual aid when we had to instruct a troupe of Boy Scouts, camping next to us, on how to pitch a tent.
Stadium cushions are covered with canvas. They provide a lot of comfort for countless hours spent on cold hard bleachers while watching soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball and graduation ceremonies. Our parents would never fail to be in the stands - no matter what the weather. Dad had a postman’s dedication to supporting us. We knew he was there because he was usually the loudest one yelling, "Oh for crying in a bucket ref., open your eyes." The only people he ever yelled at any louder were the referees on television.
My family has had an amazing collection of canvas bags. A small navy-blue duffle bag still holds a collection of wooden blocks we played with as kids. Their corners are worn smooth now from generations of small fingers. Canvas tote and duffle bags carried us all back and forth to college and a small light green canvas gym bag, that I now use for tools, still holds the faint yet strangely comforting smell of canvas.
Yards of canvas were used to recover an old dilapidated wooden canoe that our father carted home from one of his many sales trips. Dad’s vision of what it could be was pretty hard to see due to the gaping holes, cracked keel, layers of paint and tattered canvas covering. Innumerable hours/months, and one half of our game room was devoted to realizing Dad’s vision. I remember thinking, "how does he know how to do this?" I think mainly he just believed we COULD do it. When finished, people would point and stare at our little green Austin America car supporting a shining canary yellow canoe with electric blue gunnels strapped to its roof. The canoe was twice the length of the car. We looked like a giant banana tooling down the highway but we loved it. We all are living proof that that canoe floated once again. Many other items collected on his canvas sales trips have been woven into our lives. Stained glass windows he rescued from a courthouse, scheduled for demolition in Kentucky, are now a coffee table in my house. I’ve learned something about having vision and believing in potential.
Even the strongest canvas will eventually fade. Life wears at its edges making it show signs if its hard work. Bob Steele was a Canvas Salesman and like canvas he was strong, hardworking, straight forward and all about protecting, sheltering, carrying, and comforting. Every long cold winter sales trip, every grommet, every yard of canvas was for us. He taught us about enjoying the passage of time and those you share it with. These few memories seem to be as much about our family in general as they do about our father but it is utterly impossible to separate the two. He was a man with absolute love and devotion to his family.
I may not have inherited my dad’s politics but I did inherit his love of a great hat. Our dad wont be hard to pick out in a crowd of angels - he’s the one with a bright red stripped tam on his head; answering the phone with the greeting he used for as long as I can remember but particularly appropriate now,
"Saint Joseph’s House of Hospitality, Father Robert Speaking!"I hope all of you are fortunate enough to have a canvas salesman in your lives. Brian
