Today was the day of my Dad’s funeral. He was laid to rest in Chapel Hill Garden South Cemetery, in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
It was a touching ceremony where we honored my father, Ronald L. Nelson, but to me, he was always Dad. My two brothers and I spoke of his life, the ups and downs, shared some funny stories, and were able to close this chapter on his life. He will be remembered by many. I was truly touched by friends and neighbors who attended the funeral. My Dad was a kind man, he would always help those in need, and never judged you on the color of your skin. He only cared about the content of your character and that is a lesson I think our nation needs to take to heart. I truly miss him. I was fortunate enough that the last words I spoke to him before he had a heart attack was “I love you Dad.”
Enough tears shed for today, now we all get to celebrate and be better people, lead by his example of never ignoring the plight of others. He was not a saint, but he was a good man, father, and husband.
Below is a gallery of 164 photos we took over the last 17 years. Some are flattering, some are not. You can see how his health declined in later years, but when his smile came through, it was always genuine and I keep expecting to get a phone call, “Dave, Dad here…”
