I don’t know when I first realized it, but I will let you into a little secret.

My dad was Superman.

I could tell because, though mild mannered and quiet at home, he would disappear regularly and fly off around the world.  I knew he must have had a pretty important job because people were always impressed when I would tell them that my dad was a pilot.  Over the years I realized that he was much more than that.

As a baby Superman, it was important for him to gain strength quickly.  That was why it was noticed that he was growing faster than his twin brother and crib-mate,Ted. It turned out that he was drinking his own bottle and then finishing off Ted’s bottle too, but, of course, some sacrifice was necessary to support the development of a super brother.

My dad would talk about many of the adventures that he and Ted would get into.  They lived the life of typical boys, growing up in Dartmouth, but my dad was always honing his super powers.

One night, they decided to throw stones at the light fixture outside the corner store.  Of course, MY dad hit it, and broke it, with his first shot.  When their mother figured out who had done it, she made my dad go and apologize to the store owner, but secretly I’m sure she was proud of his skill.

As kids, my dad and his twin would occasionally get into fights with other boys.  They fought as a team but once in a while my dad would “let” his brother defend and protect him -after all Ted had to develop his skills too.

Of course, they also had to practice their tree climbing.  Unfortunately, there must have been some kryptonite in one tree because my dad fell and broke his arm.  Ted was the one that cried.

As a super-teen, my dad took a paper route to make money to buy a bike.  To get through this chore quickly he would run and leap over the back fences, flinging newspapers towards the houses.  One day, as he leapt over a fence, he almost landed on a woman that was sunbathing in the nude.  Quite a shock for a teenaged boy, but he just kept going.

Finally, the time came for my dad to leave school and get a job as a bank teller.  Needless to say, Superman needed more adventure than that - he joined the military and was accepted into pilot training.  This career provided the opportunity for him to travel the world, face danger and save lives.

My dad liked to walk around the cities that he visited.  Once, in Amsterdam, he asked for directions from some dubious characters.  They “helpfully” led the way - down an alley where they promptly demanded to be given his watch and wallet.  Luckily, when he complied, the muggers took off and he was not injured.

One of the most frightening experiences of his career must have been in December, 1958, when, due to a miss-calculation of fuel requirements, he was forced to crash-land an airplane in the mountains of Italy.  Using all of his skills (and powers) he was able to find and land in a mountainside farmer’s field.  The plane was demolished but there was no loss of life in the crew.

My dad often brought us gifts from around the world.  Like many military families, our home was decorated with African carved masks and figures of elephants.  It was always exciting wondering what he would bring home next - I remember a grass hula skirt from Hawaii, toy stuffed Panda bears from China and finely painted dolls in traditional dress from Germany.

Less exciting but just as impressive were my dad’s knowledge and abilities around home.  There were very few projects he wouldn’t tackle in the upkeep of a hobby farm.  Though it was not his idea to have a farm - he would much rather have been golfing - he learned what was needed to keep horses, build fences and even operate a honey bee business.

When he wasn’t away on a trip or fixing something around the house, my dad loved to play games.  Whether it was card games like Bridge or Euchre or physical games like squash, curling or his all time favourite - golf- he had a competitive streak to his nature.

I think the only one he didn’t mind losing a golf game to was my brother - after all, he had started Rick off in the game and was proud to see him excel.

In 1992, we lost our mother, June, and our children lost their grandmother.  My dad took up the task and became Super-grandpa to fill the void, supporting in any way he could and letting each grandchild know how proud he was of them.

We will remember our Super-dad with love and respect and hope that he is playing golf somewhere with his lungs full of fresh air.

Love Kate