First Person
Clifton Kirkpatrick Meador, Sr., M.D.
Dear Kay,
My dad left us last Monday.
His obituary covers a lot of ground regarding his career as a physician, but I’d like to share a story about another side of my dad.
One day in September 1989, a shipment arrived at my desk at the publisher in New York where I toiled as a lowly assistant editor. It was the sort of shipment you’d never expect to see on the 12th floor of Rockefeller Center, but there it was: a four-foot-wide wooden crate. I assumed it was yet another unsolicited manuscript—my job sucked that way.
When I pried the top off using a letter opener and a fair amount of elbow grease, I found a table.
Dad had made me a table.
RES IPSA LOQUITOR, he had carved on the inside.
“The thing speaks for itself.” He pulled this phrase not from tort law, where it’s a thing (and it’s spelled loquitur), but from Hunter S. Thompson, one of my boss’s authors and a favorite of my Dad’s.
Dad knew I would love this.
My boss let me use his car service to get the table back to my studio apartment in Brooklyn.
Over time, Dad made a pair of tables for Jon and me, a wedding gift. He built a cradle when we were expecting our first baby. And late in life, he took to bringing me hand-carved birds with whimsical necks.
The wooden box in the center is my big brother Clifton Meador’s artist’s book, A Repeated Misunderstanding of Nature.
At one point, Dad had a serious stockpile of wood. He gave me a wide mahogany board for a dining table, said he’d been hanging on to it for a decade. When I had to take down a mulberry tree in the back yard, he made sure the logs were cut wide enough to make boards.
I’ve had a lot of time in the past weeks to think about my father and what he called his “enthusiasms.” He was a doctor once and forever, but this other side of him is the part I treasured the most. He would go deepest into his woodworking when his life was the most complicated. It was as far from daily life as he could get.
That table from New York has long been the bedside table for our son Clif. After 22 years, the top is a mess, used hard by a child who had no idea what a table can actually hold.
Maybe we’ll refinish the top soon. Tung oil was Dad’s favorite finish, and cherry was a favorite wood. I can hear him telling us we need at least 10 coats—it’ll last a thousand years that way.
Love,
Ann
Thanks for this. Many Blessings.
Lovely remembrance of your father. What a remarkable man. Condolences to you and your family.
Thank you for sharing these memories with us.
How wonderful to have such treasured memories and mementos of a loving father. They will make your loss easier to bear.
Thank you sharing this with us
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming story. He will leave a hole. Sorry for your loss.
What an incredibly moving tribute to your father. Thank you for the glimpse into the soul of a special person. My deepest sympathies.
Your story brought tears to my eyes as I, too, have many pieces of furniture made by my father. Your loss is shared by the many who have these pieces to help renew the memories.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am sorry for your loss ❤️
Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories of your father. I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your loss, Ann.
How wonderful to have these treasures from your dad. Hugs and you are in my prayers.
So sorry for your enormous loss, Ann. What wonderful memories and feelings you hold in your heart. Thank you for sharing them with us and showing us their tangible representations.
So sorry for your loss, Ann. Thanks for sharing this with us.
It is wonderful to have these tangible reminders of your father’s love for you – straight from his heart and the depth of his soul. I am so moved by your writing about him. Very warm regards to you in this time of loss.
I am sorry for your great loss.
Thank you for this. Heartfelt. Meaningful.
Sending deepest sympathy. What a lovely tribute …
Such a beautiful remembrance and depiction of your dad. My sincere condolences to you and your family.
What a legacy and what a man…thank you Ann and my heartfelt condolences.
So sorry for your loss, but what wonderful memories.
Ann, I too lost my Dad three days after his 90th birthday in June. I feel for you. Laugh, cry, remember, love
Thank you for sharing your dad. There are never enough words or enough notes of sympathy when a parent…especially a dad…dies. The world shifts. Know you and he are held in the Light. And thank you so much for helping me reflect on my own dad.
Ann I feel honored and privileged to have read this tribute about your thank you for sharing him with us
The word “doctor” comes from “teacher” and he was one as you say, “once and forever.” Today, through you he is teaching us all about love. Thank you for sharing him with our community — in your sorrow you have given us an enormous gift. ❤️
I am so moved by your this post. Thank you
Thank you for sharing this story about your dad. Clearly the Maker roots run deep in your family. Your story brought tears to my eyes, I hope your wonderful memories will help to ease the loss.
A beautiful tribute. My dad, brother and husband also found themselves in wood carving and furniture making. A mulberry in our yard has to be removed in Nov. What beautiful wood it will yield for something special.
Will miss our bigger than life cousin! We have lots of memories to fall back on! Love you al! Suzie
It’s a wonder, what people leave us in our memories. I’m so sorry for your loss and am happy for you that you had a wonderful dad! Everyone deserves one but not everyone gets one.
I am sorry for your loss.
Thank you so… much for sharing your reflection. Your Dad was a special, loving and caring man.
So sorry for your loss, Ann. Thank you for sharing your story. ♥️
So sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. He was a great doctor but more importantly, a great dad. May you and your family find peace in the days ahead.
What a beautiful tribute – thank you. And how fortunate to have had him with you for so many years
I’m so sorry for your loss. It seems you have a lot of good memories.
My sincere condolences to you Ann and your family. May your loving memories sooth your soul and keep your Dad close.
What treasures you have — memories of a wonderful father, beautiful works of art he created, and your ability to share with us. Thank you so much. Stay strong.
So very sorry Ann.
Such a beautiful memory! Your dad sounds like a wonderful father who lived a full life. I’m sorry he’s gone.
I am so sorry for the loss of your hero. A Dad’s love is something so very special and one that we daughter’s will always treasure. My heart goes out to you as the pain of losing my own father lives with me daily. But, the love and special bond we shared makes this hurt so much easier to bear. My hope for you is that the same love will warm your heart more than the pain tries to deflate it. Hugs to you❤️
What a beautiful story, you had me all teared up. Thank you for sharing. I’m sorry for your loss, your dad sounds like a wonderful man.
May his memory be a comfort to you and your family.
Love….. thanks for sharing. Needed this today
How wonderful to have such memories. They will sustain you after the tears slow down.
Swift journey for him!
What a beautiful story. In addition to your memories of your father, you have the wood creations that he created with his hands. Thank you, Ann, for sharing the lovely story.
What an amazing story and a wonderful Dad! You are so blessed to have such memories.
He is correct. Tung oil is the best finish. That table is a perfect heirloom.
I am sorry for your loss. Your dad sounds like a wonderful man.
Thank you for sharing. I am so sorry for your family’s loss.
Hmmmm…Beautiful and Gracious.
Thank you for sharing this reminder for why we are here . . .
Blessings
What a moving story and what a guy! He sounds like a marvelous person, maker and father. I lost my father last year. I too have tangible items my father made and I hold onto them dearly. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing your personal view of your father. Condolences to you and your family.
Wonderful memories. Great photo. ❤️
So sorry to hear this news Ann. It sounds as though your father led an meaningful and full life…and that he passed on his passion for beauty to his family.
What a beautiful tribute to your Dad. Thank you for sharing part of your family history with us.
My condolences to you and your family.
So sorry for your loss, Ann.
My heart goes out to you in warmth and caring. I lost my Dad two years ago and miss him terribly, however, he still gives me “that look” every so often. Cherish all those painful little moments when something snaps you back to a random instance long forgotten which suddenly gives you sadness and a fond smile in the same instant. My Dad was also a master carver and I have everything from a beaver to a bricklayer created by his deft hands. Until you meet again, hug those memories!
I am so deeply saddened by the loss of your dear father. He lived such a full and giving life, both as a compassionate doctor, educator and loving father. And to have had such a love of woodwork to keep him grounded in times of need. May you and your family find solace and peace during this time of great sorrow. You are all in my prayers.
What a lovely, lovey story of such a great talent. So sorry for your loss.
May his memory be a blessing to you and your family
So sorry for your loss. Sending much love it you and your family. What a beautiful tribute.
A very handsome gentleman who worked well with his hands. He will forever be with you.
R.I.P.
Yes he looks amazed and amused too. As if something is holding his interest and he’s about to speak about it. I’m sure you still hear his voice. May he Rest In Peace.
That table is a beauty by itself. Formed by your father’s hands, it is a treasure enveloped in love and memories. Though you will not hear his voice again, its echo is in every work of art you’ve shown us. Thank you for this tribute wrought from loss. My heart goes out to you.
What a loving tribute to an extraordinary man.
Thank you for sharing your Dad with us.
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories,
My dad was a wood turner and absolutely loved wood. He didn’t make furniture like your father, but I can’t tell you the joy we take in the beautiful bowls and bookends he made for us and I can tell from your writing that it will be the same for you. Just running your hands over the wood will bring you closer to him, when you need him. I am sad for you, of course, but you will be able to take comfort from a life well led, I hope, as I do with my own father. Practical to the last, our Dad donated his body to medical science, his last beautiful deed, still thinking of others. You’re in my thoughts, if that isn’t too presumptuous of a stranger, yet one who is a knitting sister…
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute to your Father❤ Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear.
Ann I’m sending my condolences to you and your family. Praying that God will continue to comfort you and you loving family.
Sending love and hugs to you. I lost my dad (age 91) earlier this year — losing a parent is such a heart wrench.Your dad had an amazing life!
Gave me smiles! Thanks for sharing I too cherish a multitude of wooden items from my dad and I can feel his spirit in every one.
Precious memories! Thanks for sharing. Peace be with you as you journey on.
Oh Ann, these beautiful stories and handmade memories/treasures. This brought tears to my eyes. What a creative, thoughtful guy. He sounds like such a cool dad. Sending all the love to you and your family.
Your story touched my heart. Thank you
What a beautiful story, always remember who he was not what he was. Blessing
My sincere condolences for the loss of your dad. How wonderful that you have such treasures made with his hands.❤️
I am so sorry for your loss. Love to you and your family. How wonderful to have had such a close and loving relationship with your father. What a blessing to have his handiwork in your home as reminders.
It is clear there was great love between you.
Thank you for sharing Ann. You are left with many years of memories. My father a,so loved using Tung Oil when e refinished furniture in his retirement years.
I’m so sorry for your loss, beautiful memories.
I’m very sorry for your loss Ann. What lovely treasures you have to remind you of him and keep him close. I lost my father on October 7, just 10 days shy of his 90th. He was buried wearing the socks I’d just finished knitting for him. Mom said he never got to wear them but liked to hold them in his lap and stroke them.
I am so sorry for your loss, Ann. Peace be with you and your family.
Without knowing him, I’m sure your father would be so proud of your writing of him. It’s a wonderful way to keep his memory bright. I hope it is something you keep doing as you remember him in coming years. I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your loss. He sounds like an interesting human. Mine was too, and nine years on from his passing I still miss him, still dream of him, still talk to him. I wish you many happy memories.
Beautiful creations by what sounds like a beautiful man – what a blessing!
Sorry to hear about your dad, loving hugs sent to you and your family , always remember the good times you had with your dad x
So sorry for you loss, Ann. What a precious memory to hold in your heart! Thank you for sharing.
What a lovely tribute to your dad. I wondered where you were the last few weeks and missed seeing pictures of you at Rhinebeck. I’m so very sorry for your loss.
Thank you for sharing these memories and treasures made by your father’s hands. So sorry for your loss.
The most beautiful tribute to a man who loved deeply. My condolences to you and your family, Ann. May your Dad’s journey to the open arms of his ancestors be filled with amazement and joy.
Oh, Ann, I’m so sorry for your loss. What a talented and generous man, like his daughter.
Thanks for your open hearted sharing. A beautiful remembrance to share.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful memories of your life Ann. I’m so sorry for your loss of such a beautiful and loving father. I send you love. x
Oh, Ann, I feel your pride, your pain, and your deep love for him. You and your sons have beautiful, deep roots. Peace.
❤️❤️❤️
My heart goes out to you in your loss. The world shifts when we lose a parent. We imbue our memories with the objects they left behind, You have such loving memories! I hope your heart heals soon and you memories settle joyfully in the birds, the table, and the family your father created.
May your father’s memory be for a blessing.
Beautiful memories of a clearly amazing person who loved you greatly. That table is a treasure. Thank you for sharing this story. ❤️
So sorry for your loss, but so glad you have such wonderful memories.
My prayers are with your family. I’m so very sorry for your loss…❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for this, Ann. My heart felt full after reading this. So hard to let go of someone who lived so well!
So sorry for your loss. Your dad sounds like an incredible man. May you find solace in cherished memories.
It’s such a blessing to have these memories to hold on to. May they live forever in your heart.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Mary his memory be a blessing.
Wonderful tangible memories of a life well lived. My condolences.
I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings to you and yours as you walk this journey of loss.
Thank you for sharing a beautiful essay about a life well-lived and a man well-loved. May his memory be for blessing.
Oh Ann, I am so very sorry. These beautiful pieces of art hold your father’s spirit and heart. What wonderful memories you have and so very generous of you to share.
What an amazing story of love. So sorry for your loss. I’m sure his memory will be a blessing.
What wonderful memories he left for you and your family in these pieces he lovingly crafted with his two hands! Sympathy for your loss. Sending prayers for you and your family.
Oh
You gave me a heartfelt invitation to revisit my folks
Love departed, is just as sweet
Sandi
What treasures, what memories. ❤❤❤
Such beautiful pieces, lovely stories. My heart goes out to you.
Condolences to you and your family. Thanks for posting about your father. It was great to read about his life and accomplishments.
It’s a lovely triple-Clifton photo!
What a beautiful and loving tribute; he sounded like a wonderful human being.
Beautiful table and story. May his memory be a blessing
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your dad sounds like a remarkable person who lived a very fulfilling, loving life. He was very talented and you have some wonderful tangible gifts to remind you whenever you look at them.
Hugs and love to you and your family for the loss of this touchstone in your lives. ❤️
Beautiful memories…
Love, Barrie
What a wonderful story, and a wonderful man. Bless you and your family.
Big loss. So sorry Ann.
Sorry for your loss. This was a wonderful tribute to your Dad.
I am so sorry for your loss but know that your father will live in your heart and memory.
What a wonderful remembrance of your dad. I’m so sorry for your loss. ♥️♥️
Our fathers hold special places in our hearts. They help us explore those niches in our lives that expand our humanity. With those moments of holding our hands, and those of letting go, there is so much love within our dads. Quirkiness? Of course! Laughter? You bet. Compassion? Yes, and at the strangest of times. Hold onto your memories, and share them often.
I am sorry for your loss
Thank you for sharing this Ann. Reminds us all how important the things we make are to our loved ones. That was true with my Dad too.
Sorry for your loss. Your Dad was an amazing man with many talents. He leaves behind great memories and a special table
My heart goes out to you and yours. He was such a treasure. What wonderful memories. Big hug to you.
This news makes my heart sad and I send much sympathy to you and your family. I knew your dad as a “DAD”, a PDS parent who worked with my late husband and others to keep the best school ever open and operating back in the mid-1970’s. There were many late night meetings at his home and lots of phone calls. I had no idea about his creative side. You have lovely memories sitting around. Best blessings. Jan Maier
So sorry for your families loss. Beautiful words of remembrance. Thank you.
Thank you for this . I want to say more but don’t know how. You are in my thoughts. ❤️
What a beautiful account of your Dad, Ann. He sounds magnificent. Thank you for sharing this with us and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as you get through this very difficult time. All I can think is, no wonder Ann is so evolved and special…look who she came from!
XxxDebbie
Sorry to hear your sad news Ann. You were blessed to have such a wonderful gem of a father. Thanks to both you and Kay for sharing some of your life stories with your readers. I truly enjoy everything about MDK.
What a beautiful tribute to your father, Ann. Your dad left you lovely handcrafted gifts, but to me the most special is his love of “making” that travels through you to your own sons. That is a true blessing. Peace to you as you find your way through this loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing.
Dear Ann, He will live forever in your heart, as much a part of you as the rings in the tree that made the planks for your table. Prayers , love and blessings, Alison x
Peace to you and your family. I love the way he called his side interests “enthusiasms”. Much love.
Beautiful – your remarks and the wood working.
What beautiful memories of your dad! I’m so sorry for your loss.
Cherish your sweet memories. You were truly blessed “
What a wonderful remembrance.
My dad was a woodworker as well, and also loved cherry. He would tell us the wood needed oil once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and every year for life. I haven’t been so good at that once-a-year part, but I treasure everything he has made.
I so gad you have your treasures. My sincere condolences to you.
What an absolutely lovely tribute to your Dad!
Losing a father is a very difficult thing. Especially when he was such a good man. I lost my father when he was 92 and even though as he said, “ it was a good run,” I still miss him every day. Someone said previously, everyone deserves a good father but not everyone gets one. We are lucky, Ann.
What a lovely story. I’m so sorry for your loss
I’m sorry ❤️.
What wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing them with us.
This made me think of my dad and his many “enthusiasms.” Think his garden with plants/weeds collected from roadsides among them. I’m sorry for your loss. Dads are precious.
I am crying for you… so sorry you lost such a treasured dad. How lovely that you could enjoy his presence all these years and have so many cherished memories to keep close in your heart. Deepest condolences to your family, Ann.
My thoughts are with you. Sending you a virtual hug…
What a reverent post! No wonder you’re such a special person. His soul lives on in you and your creativity. Such love he has put in those tables just as you do in your knits for others. May he Rest In Peace. He has woven beautiful threads into your family’s lives. Condolences to you all for your loss. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, so sorry Anne. My dad died 15 years ago, and I still miss him (and quote him) every day. He was a corporate lawyer, but mostly a poet and a cooker of delicious meals, and had almost all Shakespeare’s sonnets memorized….
Ann, I’m so sorry. I know this was a tough road. So glad you have these beautiful pieces around you. May his memory be a blessing.
Sincere condolences. Lovely obituary.
❤️❤️❤️
What lovely memories. May they comfort you. Guess meditative work with your hands runs in the family. Condolences.
Sending you loving energy, Ann, and wishing you comfort and peace. <3
What lovely, tangible memories of your father, Ann. I’m sorry for your loss, but happy for your memories of a life well lived. XO
What beauty he created (the table yes, but those birds are amazing)! So sorry for your loss.
Beautiful tribute to your father. How lucky you have been. So sorry for your loss…
So sorry for your loss. What wonderful memories!
Beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing your wonderful father with us. God bless.
What a beautiful story. Sorry about your family’s loss but he left a beautiful woodwork legacy.
This is a beautiful tribute. I am so sorry for your loss.
Ann, my deepest condolences on the loss of your father and a great man. Thank you for posting this part about his life that deeply moved me.
What a heartfelt remembrance of a much loved Father. Thank you for sharing. You will find strength within your memories. Blessings to your family.
My heart is full! Because your lovely memories invoked some of my own about my dad. Your father was a treasure, as was mine. Keep those memories close, Ann. May God comfort your family, and thanks.
My favorite part of this is that he would go deepest into his woodworking when his life was the most complicated. I was piecing qhilt stars when my dad was dying. That was 1991. I never made them into blocks. Now my husband has dementia and I take solace in knitting and sewing and choosing colors for quilts. Life is complicated. These “Enthusiasms” are my happy place. Best wishes.
I so love this. My dad, too, created in wood. In 1964 he made my bedroom set, complete with canopy bed, made from cherry. It’s in one of our bedrooms. My set back cupboard, kitchen table, dictionary stand, countless candlesticks and turned bowls are among my prized possessions. I think watching my dad create from an early age lit a fire in me. I think that’s why I love to knit (and sew. Since I used to make all my own clothes, he gave me a sewing machine for my 16th birthday). Thanks, Dad for this lifetime gift.
My condolences, Ann. So lovely to have these objects made with love.
He sounds like a wonderful father and man. Warm thoughts to you and your family.
Dear Ann – Thank you for sharing the stories and images of your dad’s beautiful woodworking pieces. As makers and crafters, we know how the objects made by hand are about much more than the object itself. I enjoyed reading your dad’s obituary, especially his commitment and passion for the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance. My dad was deeply involved with the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance during the decade he was at Meharry in the 2000s. Our fathers clearly knew each other and worked together, and learning of that connection this morning is a gift to me as the end of this month will mark 7 years since my father died.
Sending much love to you and your family.
What wonderful memories and a lovely tribute.
My deepest sympathy, Ann. Such a lovely tribute to your father. Such love there!
So sorry for your hurting heart. My husband was a woodworker. He ahd boards of walnut in our garage attic “curing ” for years. After his death, we took them to a neighbor, also a woodworker, and from them he made the box which holds Bill’s ashes. The wood still has saw marks and plane marks on it…I cherish it. Think of all the love your Dad poured into his hands as he worked that wood. Savor the memories.
Wonderful memories!
I’m so very sorry for your loss Ann. This is a beautiful tribute to your dad xo.
Reading your story brought back many sweet memories of my father. Thank you for that.
Memories…and family treasures keep those close to us in our hearts. How lucky you are. The table and your dad’s love affair with wood speaks a lot about him. How lucky we are to learn more about him…gives us a small insight to you and your artistic side. Thanks for sharing and smile with the memories.
Sorry for your and your family’s loss. He has left his creative legacy with you. What lovely memories!
Beautiful,,both the tribute and the art to a remarkable Dad.You will miss him but he will be always with you in your memories and in his art.
My deepest condolences. Your dad was quite the treasure.
An “amazing “ man! Keep those good memories.
So sorry for your loss. Your memories are a blessing and a comfort.
That was a beautiful tribute to your father May his memory be for a blessing
I send my heartfelt sympathies to you on losing your Dad. He was clearly a wonderful and talented man who loved his daughter very much. Get that tung oil out and start refinishing the top of his beautiful table. It will be a tribute to him and hopefully will help ease the pain you are feeling. I hope that all the happy memories of your Dad, along with the material gifts he gave you over the years, will sustain you through this difficult time.
What an eloquent tribute to your wonderful father. How lucky you were to have had him. So sorry for your loss, Ann. Requiescat in Pace.
May your memories never fade. Keep him in your heart always.
I should have said: He will remain in your heart always.
My deepest sympathy! Dad’s are special❣️
What a beautiful tribute to your dad. May his memory be a blessing.
So sorry for your loss. With much sympathy.
Dear Ann, Thank you for sharing such lovely memories of your father. His wood carvings are beautiful!
I’m so very sorry for your loss. What a rich legacy your dad left your family. May it bring you comfort.
How fortunate for you to have these lovely memories that you can touch.
May your memories be a blessing.
he sounds like a wonderful man…so sorry for your loss
I loved reading this and it puts me in mind of my own 81 year old dad. He’s a long-time carver whose hands won’t cooperate very much anymore but my home is filled with the beautiful objects he’s made over his many decades. He, like your dad, was also a woodworker. Thank goodness they leave us these treasures that really anchor their spirits in our lives and memories forever. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. Thank you for sharing this creative side of your dad.
How lucky you are to have had him as your father.
Those birds!
Take good care.
❤
What beautiful memories! I am so sorry for your loss.
What a lovely remembrance!
What a loving tribute to a dad who truly loved you.
How beautiful his wood pieces were and what beautiful memories! I can tell he was a great man and father!!
I’m so sorry for your loss. A beautiful life lived, leaving you all beautiful memories.
So very sorry for your loss but what a wonderful legacy! Wishing you peace in those memories.
That table can hold a lifetime of memories and a basket of yarn. It’s all about making a life as Ms Fallick reminds us. I hope the thoughts and memories will fulfill you always.
Thank You for sharing this beautiful story. I lost my dad in Jan this year. My thoughts are with you and your family. Blessings
Ann, I am so sorry for your loss. May you and your family find comfort in memories of all the good things your dad did.
So sorry for your loss, Ann. Your memories will live forever,
Beautiful post. Love and hugs, Ann. ❤️
Peace to his memory and his beautiful life. Take care of yourself during your bereavement.
Such a beautiful story … thank you for sharing. A beautiful story of a life well lived.
Ann, I am so sorry for your loss. What beautiful memories of a live well lived
Oh Ann. I am so sorry your father is gone. A remarkable soul, it seems. It’s 10 years since Daddy left us. He was 92. I think of him and talk with him daily. Your heart is hurting but you will feel him in so many ways. All the love. All the peace.
So much love to cherish forever! Blessings to you and your family.
Losing a dad is hard stuff. My heartfelt condolences.
Ann, I’m so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful father for a loving daughter.
May his memory be eternal.
Lovely Reminiscence. Thinking of you.
I’m so sorry for your loss. From what you (and his official obituary), he was a *truly* amazing human being. I hope your memories can be a comfort. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
How blessed you were to have such an inspiring Dad. I’m sorry for your heartache. Loss just sucks! ❤️
My sympathy to you and your family. What a wonderful legacy he has left.
So sorry for your loss. Your father sounds like a wonderful man, and you are blessed to have so many tangible memories of him.
Thank you for sharing some of your treasured memories of your Dad with us. He shared a lot of himself with others.
What a beautiful tribute! Thank you for sharing this with us.
My heart aches for your huge loss.
What fond memories and tangible reminders!
May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you for shining your light on a life well-lived and sharing some of his love with us!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories!
May we all be known for our enthusiasms. What an enormous loss, thank you for sharing a little piece of your Dad with us.
I am so sorry. You were blessed.
Ann,
Condolences on the death of your dad. I am so sad for you.
What a lovely rememberance about your dad, the table, and his love of wood.
Prayers to you and your family.
Jane Noble
Heart felt thanks for the memories and my deepest condolences.
I love to hear “the rest of the story” of people’s lives. My father was also a woodworker and I am surrounded by him every day. Take comfort in having him with you.
I’am so sorry for your loss. I miss my Dad everyday. It’s amazing the special times you have together. With love Debbie
Peace to you and your family.
My condolences on your dad’s passing. He sounds like an amazing & talented person.
Your loss is profound. My sincere sympathies to you and your family.
I’m so sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. Your story was a loving tribute. My father was a maker of tables and cradles too. I feel his love and spirit when I run my hands over the smooth table top that holds my current stack of books. I wish the same for you and your family, with love and sympathy at this time.
What treasure you have from your Dad. So sorry for your loss.
Thank you for sharing. My prayers are with you as you remember.
This is just the best. What a man, what a daughter.
Thank you for sharing this. I’m sure he was a treasure – nice to have so many things to remind you of his enthusiasms!
I’m so sorry for your loss, Ann. “Oil it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year after that,” were the wood finishing words that I always hear (in my dad’s voice). xo
This is why MDK is so very dear to me — you share your soul. I am so sorry for the loss of your father. May wonderful memories bring you comfort. Sending love.
I’m so sorry for your loss. He sounds like an amazing person. May his memory be a blessing.
Ann, I am saddened to learn of the passing of your dear father. From what you have written here over the years, the mutual love, affection, and respect between you has been evident. I especially remember that letter he wrote to you, telling you of how proud he was of you, and the pictures you shared with us for his 90th birthday. He was an amazing and multitalented man with an amazing family. My condolences to you all.
We can never have them with us long enough. Thank you for sharing your memories of your father with us.
What an amazing man your dad was Thank you for sharing a part of him. May he rest in peace❤
A beautiful article reminding us about the wonders of family. I’m so sorry for your loss.
No words. Thank you!
❤️
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. Thank you for sharing these blessings from his life with us. My father was also a maker and when I miss him most I hold that little piece of him that I have in my hands, and it’s always comforting.
So sorry to hear this, Ann. Your Dad is a legend in the Alabama medical world, but it’s the father you’re mourning. Many, many hearts mourn with you.
A wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. Thank you for sharing
What a wonderful memory – thanks for sharing – He will always be with you as you share memories
What treasures! May his memory be a blessing. His precious family surely is.
What an amazing man and artist..creating and loving from his very soul..my heart goes out to you with the loss of him❤️
oh, my, so beautiful – this brought tears to me – how generous of you to share these experiences and the love of your Dad.
Thanks for sharing. Your dad sounds amazing in so many ways. A very hard loss – sending you love and hugs.
Thank you for sharing this remembrance of your father, Ann. I feel like I learned something of him, and your relationship, through reading it. Know that I am thinking of you and your family at this sad time.
How wonderful that you and your father shared in creative ‘enthusiasms’. Please accept my condolences, and thank you for sharing your loving story.
What beautiful memories. So sorry for your loss.
What a lovely tribute to your Dad, and his extraordinary gifts so lovingly shared with his family.
May his memory be for a blessing
What a wonderful tribute. Thank you for telling us about this very special part of your father. Working with wood was his “knitting”! A place where you can go to make something with your hands. To let your mind be at ease, and your thoughts to wander. May your father be at peace.
Deepest Condolences.
Treasured Memories.
“Wow! What a Ride!”
Memory Eternal, Ann. What a blessing to have these things he made with love for you. Touch them as you move through the grieving process, and I believe you will feel him.
Words are never enough. What lovely memories. Thank you for sharing.
My father was a doctor, too, and he was also a carpenter, as his father had been before him. My brothers followed in his footsteps, as is one of his grandsons. My father made a LOT of our furniture, too, mostly when he and my mother were getting started. I cannot imagine where he got the time! We each have several pieces, tables mostly. Two of my brothers have left (way too soon) to join our father. One of their sons, though, is and engineer and doing his apprenticeship with my remaining brother — who is also a doctor. They use my grandfather’s hand tools.
In his later life, my father made Nantucket Lightship Baskets, which he could largely do seated. This he and my sister learned over summers in the ‘70s, apprenticed to an old Islander who actually wove at sea. He was one of the Island’s best. My favorite is a giant basket, which he made to contain my knitting. (Wait… Who am I trying to convince? I have a proper stash. You know: The kind that Exceeds Life Expectancy. …and that basket!)
That basket sits on the floor in the living room next to the coffee table my late brother’s built for me.
(My sister’s baskets are in use around the house, too. We are makers, all.)
Thank you for sharing your loving story.
My father started making heirloom furniture after retiring from a very stressful, high pressure career. His favorite wood was also cherry with a natural finish. He just turned 90 and is no longer able to make furniture which I know he misses. I cherish this furniture as you cherish your fathers.
Thank you for sharing this story. Beautiful and deeply touching
Your dad sounds like a wonderful man. He like you, enjoyed making beautiful things, and shared them with those he lived. A beautiful loving life. You are blessed.
I find that the handmade gifts I have from those who have passed away bring me the greatest comfort. Your father’s legacy truly continues with you.
My deepest condolences to you and your family on your sad loss..
Thank you for sharing such a lovely story. May his memory be a blessing
❤️❤️❤️
In my prayers because you are never ready to say goodbye to a parent; but what a legacy of treasures and memories he has left you and your family.
To be able to touch things he made. What a gift.
Thank you for sharing. Love is truly a wonderful gift from God.
Such of lovely tribute to a life well lived –
I am so sorry for your loss and your family’s. This is a lovely tribute – thank you for sharing it. Hugs!
What lovely memories. I’m sorry for your loss.
I loved your dad and my acquaintance with him was only through what you wrote about him and through what I’ve read of his writings; it was enough! “Renaissance Man” is overused today, but if anyone qualified, it was your father. A “RM” of medicine, too. Wouldn’t the profession be transformed if we had more doctors like your dad who were curious about symptoms with seemingly no diagnosis? His books Sketches of a Small Town Life and The Little Book of Doctors’ Rules are gems, as was he. How blessed you and your family are to have had him among you for 90 years.
“Sort of amazed” is a great way to live life.
Thank you for sharing him with us.
What a lovely story! Expected knitting, but instead received warmth and family and loving creativity. I envy you those whimsical birds!
So sorry for your loss Ann. Thanks for sharing with us the specialness about your Dad, a provider and a maker, May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you for sharing your dad with us. Virtual hug!
What a beautiful picture and testimony of a fine life and dedicated man.
What a lovely tribute, Ann. So very sorry for your loss. I am certain that your father will be sorely missed with memories treasured forever.
Oh, Ann, I am so sorry for your loss. What a blessing that you have so many wonderful memories and tangible treasures of and from your Dad that you share with your family. I hope that the sunshine of your Dad’s love will shine through and help to dissipate the grey clouds of grief for you and your family.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful loving story of your father. He seems to define the word, humanitarian, and more so, most awesome father.
So sorry about the loss of your lovely Dad. What a wonderful legacy to have the beautiful things he made.
Your father’s birds were beautiful. I’m so sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss. What wonderful memories!
Your father will always be with you, in your heart and in your hands. Most of all he loved you and that place will never be filled by anyone
I am so sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing
❤️
May his memory be a blessing – and it obviously will.
This story is so beautiful. Made me tear up.
My husband turned 70this year. He is a lawyer and is still semi working. I told him in order to fully retire, he should find a hobby to fill his time (like my knitting). The class had to be during the daytime and during the week so he could attend while downtown at the office. He found the perfect woodworking class. He made a couple of beautiful boxes out of exotic woods with mitred corners and domed lids and gave them to a few of our grandchildren for them to hoard their treasures.
We are going to be renovating our kitchen soon and instead of the usual island, we want to have a large kitchen table where family can gather. He plans to make a 9-10 foot long table. I showed him the article and told him he must carve something on the underneath so when our children inherit this heirloom they will have a piece of him.
I can’t wait for him to move onto graceful, long necked birds.
Your memories are bringing back my own memories. My dad who used tung oil (I had forgotten about that.) One of the baby cradles he made is about to hold his great-grandson. His toy wooden cars that are scattered around the family. All of these things came flooding back.
So sorry for your loss. Hold those memories tight.
So very sorry for your loss, Ann. Thank you for sharing such loving memories.
Thank you for sharing this gift of your father’s other love. I am sorry for your loss and glad for the good you had in him.
Such a special story. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss but love your happy memories. I lost my dad last year at 84. I still quote him all the time!
What a joy to have lived with a man with such depth to his soul. May his memory be a blessing.
What a beautiful legacy and story! My father used woodworking in a similar way.
Don’t refinish the table. It bears witness to the daily lives of loved ones still only a promise at the time of its creation — of all the love and hope and happiness (and grief) that was implicit in the gift of this most utilitarian and long-lived object.. Just what your dad imagined when he made it for you. You and yours, and your table, are in my thoughts.
So sorry for your loss! What a beautiful story and tribute to your dad, Thank you for sharing. My sincere condolences to you and your family.
A wonderful tribute.
It’s not easy. Thinking of you and sending love.
Thank you for sharing! Such treasured memories!
What a beautiful tribute to what sounds like a wonderful man. So sorry for your loss.
“Made with love, Dad” says it all. I am very grateful for the excellent daughter he shared with the world.
A beautiful tribute. I shall adopt the notion of “enthusiasm” for myself and others.
It is wonderful to be treasured by a parent.
So sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing. He left a rich legacy of acts of kindness and his beautiful wooden creations.
What a wonderful man, table, birds, memories. I had a Dad like that. I’m very sorry for your loss. Take your time with this…
I’m so sorry for your loss, but glad you have things to remember him by.
Hugs to you, Ann. Thanks for sharing your lovely memories with us. May they bring you peace.
What a beautiful tribute to your Dad, Ann…and what a blessing to have so many examples of his love! I’m so sorry for his passing and hope you’ll find comfort in all of your wonderful memories. I know our own wonderful memories helped my sister and I so much when our dad passed and we think about him every day with love, laughter, and appreciation.
Thank you for sharing these lovely memories with us. With such memories, your loved ones are never truly gone.
The found memories we have of our departed, is my definition of heaven. I know your dad and my dad are collaborating in heaven.
Sending you peace in the days to come.
It’s tough to lose a beloved parent. My sympathies to you and your family.
Thank you for sharing. Sounds like you had a wonderful relationship. Hold on to the memories.
Your Dad sounds like a wonderful, interesting, fun person. How lucky you and your family were to have him so long in your lives. Cherish your memories great and small as you mourn his passing.
I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this.
What wonderful memories you have of your dad. Thank you for sharing a few with us.
We are in the process of sending off a few pieces of furniture my husband has made to our daughters. I pray they will treasure the warm cherry and glowing oak over the years as you have treasured yours. Your dad was not only a skilled craftsman but a gifted artist.
Oh, Ann. I miss him already
What a lovely man your dad was, and what a wonderful legacy he’s left. Thank you for sharing your memories.
I’ve lost my dad too, but I carry him around with me in my personality, my curly hair. I also ended up with a son who doesn’t resemble either parent, but is the image of my dad. You have your son Clif to always carry his spirit, as you do. The Hindu belief is that we are never born and never die, we are eternal. The soul just discards a worn out body and takes on a new one, this is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita. You don’t have to be Hindu to find this idea comforting. My thoughts are with you, Ann.
So sorry for your loss, Ann. Reading about your Dad reminded me of my own Dad’s death in 1981. When we hear of the loss of other people’s parents, it is a reminder of our own. I don’t have concrete objects like your Dad made, but he was a great reader and was fond of reading about history. He and my mom made learning the central point of our family life. May you and your family be surrounded in fond memories of his life.
Beautiful. May his memory be a blessing.
May you always enjoy sweet memories of your Dad and the myriad of ways he showed his love through his “enthusiasms” and the joy it must have brought him to gift such treasures. May you and your family know that we in your extended community send our support and love.
Your Dad looks a lot like mine! And what beautiful, beautiful work and love wrought into every detail. The story of the table is the best. Sympathies to you and your family on your loss.
So sorry for your loss- and lovely story.
May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you so much for sharing. My sincerest condolences.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful memories. I am sorry for your loss, Ann.
What a beautiful memory! Thank you for sharing.
May I add one more sentiment of caring in your time of remembering and loss. Sounds like he told and showed his love for you in his ‘making’ of wood objects. So much love surrounds you in what he created and in his joy of the creating. Peace to you and your family.
Am so sorry for your loss, what a big whole he has left behind. How wonderful that his intense ‘enthusiasms’ left his family such tangible permanent pleasure. Maybe his amazement was based in happy astonishment at the vitality, character, and achievements of his descendants?
I am all choked up.
Your dad was an amazing, brilliant man! You were so smart to choose him for a father! I am very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you.
I’m so sorry for your loss! This is a wonderful way to remember your dad. My dad is also a woodworker. Here at my office I have a beautiful table and 2 plant stands he has custom made. At home, we have a floor lamp, a bookcase, and assorted smaller pieces. Every Christmas, he picks a project– usually a small kitchen accessory, like an ice cream scoop– and everyone gets one. One year it was hand turned ballpoint pens. So wonderful to have these memories!
That is so beautiful Ann, and brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your story. You look so much like your dad!
Ann, blessings and peace to you and your family. Thank you for sharing this other side of your dad.
Such a loving parent leaves his/her imprints way beyond this life and into the generations to come. Those of us who have experienced such love are blessed daily in ways that surprise and humble us. It is an almost unbearable loss none the less. Your love for your father sparkles in this special telling as does his love for you. Your sharing it with us is truly touching. Love to you Ann
I’m so sorry for your loss but thank you for the story. I also have a table made by my dad and a table and glass front cabinet made by his father, my granddad. It’s lovely to always think of them when I look at what they made with their hands. Add on the quilts, handknit sweaters, needlework, etc. The gift of the maker – what we give and, blessedly, what we receive.
Thank you Ann for sharing your dad. Those memories of him will be the sweetest.
Thanks for sharing such beautiful memories. Grace and peace.
This is a thoroughly beautiful tribute. My heart goes out to you and yours.
So sorry but what wonderful memories and mementos.
What a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing. So sorry for your loss.
My heart is with you in the loss of your dearest father. The table and it’s message is a beautiful thing. Be kind to yourself. From an avid follower in New Zealand.
I don’t understand anything about life, but it sounds like your dad did. And those birds!
What a remarkable human. Thanks for leaving us this glimpse into his life and how it impacted so many others (not counting the numberless patients he must have helped as a physician). So sorry for your loss, but happy you can rejoice in such wonderful memories.
What lovely and tangible memories to have of your Dad. I miss both my parents but having great memoies of the helps.
I’m so sorry for your loss. He gave you so many gifts, both physical and intellectual. It must have been great fun having Dr. Meador as your Dad. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
So sorry for your loss, Ann. A father’s imprint is never lost, only deepened with time.
In all aspects absolutely beautiful and heartfelt. Peace to you and your family.
My condolences on the loss of your dad, physician and artisan. A man of many gifts.
Eulogy. From the Greek. “Eu” meaning good. “Logos” meaning speech.
A beautiful eulogy for a beautiful man.
I am so very sorry for your loss. ♡
Ann – that is a beautiful story. Kind of reminds me of my Dad – an Engineer by trade and woodworker at heart. I treasure his gifts as they will go on forever – as will yours. Thank you for sharing your heart and his gifts.
These are beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing. Much sympathy on your loss, Ann.
SO sorry for your loss.
May your memories be a blessing. Condolences.
Ann, I love this sweet memory. I studied every phrase and poured over every picture. I didn’t know your father, but Buffy told me as a seventh graders that he was particularly amused by the narrator’s insight in To Kill A Mockingbird that naming men after Confederate generals created slow, steady drinkers. I always wondered how their conversation had come about and what else he might have had to say. The birds are wonderful. The table is elegantly simple. His children are his best gift to the world. My condolences.
Jeanne McCutchan Van Voorst
I’m so sorry for your enormous loss {{HUGS}}
What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing. You will be in my thoughts during this difficult time.
Beautiful sharing. And yes, my doc hubby goes off into netherland, tying flies, when things get icky….any creative outlet to disappear into.
Lovely story. You Dad was a real keeper!
Makes me think back and appreciate my parents with more appreciation.
Dear Ann
I hope you can still receive this message. What a beautiful tribute to your dad.
Love that photo of him with the two Cliftons.
I love his table your birds and especially your story of him. It is so honest and real and touching. That little vignette alone is full of personal touches.
One does not forget their father when you are lucky enough to have a special one in your life. . I personally get into my car every day and think of mine not that is the only time I think of him but we spoke every day on my way to work.
We have been fortunate.
You have so much to keep him close always.
My condolences to you all.
With love
Lauren Shayne Gershonovitch and my gang.
How lovely this story is. Thank you for sharing it with us and allowing us into a most treasured memory and to share in the grief you are experiencing. A long life, well-lived, undoubtedly, and well-loved. Be comforted by every memory of him and within the comforting embrace of our Lord. Bless you.
P.S. I’m a BIG fan of whimsical things, so I love, love, love the “birds” he made for you! A love like no other; a dad and his daughter. I know from personal experience. 😉 <3 <3 <3
Awesome writing about an awesome subject in many ways. A keeper.
Great to see those three creative Cliftons together. This is a lovely tribute to your Dad, Anne. Much grace to you at this time of grief.
Your father was a wonderful craftsman! I’m sorry for your loss❤️
What a wonderful tribute to a true artist and a wonderful father. Wishing you peace at this time.
Such a sweet remembrance. Thank you for sharing. Thinking of you and your family in your grief.
Thank you for sharing these memories. My father is also a woodworker and the smell of freshly cut wood is one of those things that evokes so many memories of my childhood. He is 93 so my time with him is very precious. Cherish those memories!
What great memories you & your family will have every time you look at the table. So sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss Ann. It’s apparent where you got your urge to create beautiful things. You and your family will be in my thoughts. ♥️
What wonderful memories to carry you through your grief. May they bring you comfort and peace.
May you find peace in your grief. Thanks for sharing.
Ann so very sorry for your loss.
What wonderful memories. I wish you peace.
very sorry for your loss. you were very fortunate in your father – he has left you with a wealth of memories.
May his memory be blessed and always be a blessing.
So many treasures from a wonderful father. I’m so sorry for your loss and thankful for these tangible works of love you were gifted.
Ann, thanks for sharing your memories. May they be a blessing for you and your family.
Beautiful! The words and the wood working, you will carry him with you every day.
Wonderful memories, thank you for sharing. Tung oil was mom’s favorite too. )))hugs(((
It’s the CRATE. Imagining your dad busy at work and miles away thinking “Ann might get that CRATE today. Boy, Ann is gonna be surprised.” Great dadly doings. And don’t refinish that top too much, need both Clifs. Love and sympathy.
Thank you for this. My dad died 5 years ago at the age of 90, and I, too, have wooden objects he made for us—a table, a pizza peel, salt & pepper shakers, and more. They make me smile.
Love runs deep
So sorry for your loss. What a wonderful picture of the Cliftons. ❤️
My beloved father-in-law also died a few months after his 90th birthday. He was an engineer by training and trade but took up water color painting after his retirement. We have a dozen or so of his paintings lovingly framed and hung around our house. He also built the summer house on a lake in the Adirondacks that the entire family gathers in every summer. Memories are the most important thing to have but it sure is nice to have some tangibles of a loved one’s creativity and the love they had for you.
What wonderful memory you have! Sorry for your loss, he sounds like a wonderful man.
What a loving father you had…Sorry for your loss. I really enjoyed reading about his creative side and loved the table.
I am so very sorry for your loss. My beloved father loved to build things, too. I wish I had anything he made.
I’m sorry to hear about your father. May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you for sharing these stories of your dad. I’m sorry for your loss. But lovely to have these memories, and mementos to remind you.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Ann. I hope that a lifetime of happy memories of your father will bring you comfort now.
Ann, I am so sorry your father has passed away. Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories with us.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story about your dad. May his memory be fir a blessing.
I’m sorry for your loss. Hold in to your precious memories. In the days ahead they will bring you so much comfort.
My daddy passed 3.5 years ago. While he wasn’t a furniture builder he was a builder of trailers. My precious gift is the heavy metal arch he and my late brother created for my wedding. It’s something I hold dear in my heart.
Beautiful memories! Lucky you, to have such a dad! And lucky him, to have you!
Ann, my deepest sympathies to you and your family. What an interesting and intelligent man. Thank you for sharing his story. Take good care of yourself.
Thank you for sharing your father’s story. What a beautiful legacy he leaves with you. Holding you and your family in prayer.
Ann: My condolences on the loss of your father. Thanks for sharing your treasures. What lovely reminders of your father’s love. My dad has never been an avid woodworker but he made cradles for me and both of my sisters when our first children were born. Mine is very special to me. Glad you had a thoughtful dad too!
Amazing Dad. Lucky family. Thinking of you Ann. Lovely story.
When my father died many years ago, my sisters (and cousins and many other family members and friends) were filled with grief. One of my sister’s friends told her something I’ve never forgotten: “You’re so lucky to have had a father who you grieve.” Those of us who had amazing fathers are truly lucky and blessed. What a wonderful dad you had and how lucky you are to have had him for so long.
Loved learning this about your dad. He was really special, as are you. Xxx
Your dad will always be there. After 10 years, mine is. Ofen just around the corner, just out of sight, yet he’s always there.
Dear, dear Ann, all heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Thank you for this lovely remembrance.
Dear Ann, thank you for sharing your father with us. He sounds like a loving father and you two were so fortunate to have had such a loving relationship. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
Sincere condolences. I’m sure your father was so proud of you. He loved you with abandon.
I also lost my father this last year. I am so sorry for your loss.
Dear Ann, I’m so sorry for your loss! He sounds like a wonderful guy, and it must leave quite a void. It’s remarkable that he left you so many physical manifestations of his love. Almost like knitting, right?
Sincere condolences to you and your family. He left a legacy of love. You are all so blessed.
Oh Ann. I am so sorry. I too was lucky to have a fabulous Dad. He was all things wonderful and brought out the best in so many. He was my friend, the stress free lunch date (he would call me later in his life and ask if I’d like to have lunch, then drive 3 hours to make it happen- each way), the best giver of hugs, just the best- you know? I miss him so, but the lessons he taught me, and the gifts he gave me, are with me forever, just like your Dad’s will be. Hugs.
I lost my dad this year, too. This is very touching. I’m sorry for your loss.
With love.
Ann I’m so sorry to see this news. I noticed you left the Atlas Dr Marl-In early and wondered. My Dad will turn 90 in a month and is dwindling these days so I’m keenly aware of how you must feel. You and your descendants will cherish your Dad’s memory in that table for a thousand years.
Sending my condolences to you, your family and everyone who loved your Dad. This is the sweetest memory. Thank you for giving us a glimpse of your Dad’s maker self. xoxo
I am so story for your loss. This is such a beautiful tribute to a kind and caring human being.
Deepest sympathy. I feel the loss you feel for your father, as I do for mine. We do have good memories.
Such a loving, interesting man. I’m so sorry for your loss and so glad you were blessed with such a wonderful father.
My condolences. May his memory, like his table, be eternal.
Ann, my condolences for your loss.
I love the table and the wooden sculptures, beautiful. A beautiful way to remember your Dad.
Such a lovely memory of your Dad, he was very wise and talented in so many ways, including raising an amazing daughter. May your memories of him bring you comfort. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Such a loving dad.
Your dad has left you corporally only, of course. My mom died 38 years ago, but is with me in some manner every day. What a soul he must have been. My condolences on your loss, and congratulations on having had him in your lives.
What a wonderful legacy your father left you and your family. My condolences to your family. The picture of you brother, Dad and son is a treasure.
Sending you heartfelt condolences. What a beautiful story. xoxo
What a wonderful life. What a marvelous legacy.
Oh, Ann, I am so sorry for your loss. What wonderful memories, both tangible and intangible, you all are blessed with. You and your family will be in my thoughts.
I am sorry to hear of your loss Ann. It sounds like he was a wonderful man and very creative.
A wonderful tribute to your father.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s a tough time when a father leaves us…this is all I know. Take Care Ann. ♥️
PS…those beautiful birds and the table are such treasures.
Thank you so much for sharing this loving, heartfelt tribute to your dear father. It made my heart sing with joy and peace as your writing had girth and expression of love and compassion for his life within and without your own.
Sending hugs and prayers for comfort and peace. What wonderful memories you will always have of your incredible Dad.♥️
Loved reading your personal story about your Daddy. He really seemed like such a nice man. It’s hard losing a Father, I know. May his memory be a blessing to you and your family.
What a sweet story. Makes my heart smile.
What a beautiful memory!
Ann, I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so very sorry for your loss, Ann. Coincidentally, I am a friend of your sister Buffy here in Norfolk. Your family has been in my thoughts and prayers since she shared your father’s obituary. He was a remarkable man and left an amazing legacy.
Loved your story. Another part of your father lives in our memories now. Thank you.
May your father’s memory be a blessing that you continue to carry forward
Love this. Dad’s are special. Wonderful memories.
What loving and tangible memories.
What a wonderful memory! Dads and daughters have a special connection. I hope this table helps ease your pain and sorrow.
What a wonderful man, a wonderful story. It reminds me of my husband’s grad school roommate, a doctor in training who also eventually served the underserved, worked at UAB as director of student health. But missed your dad by a decade or more.
I still hold conversations with my own dad, gone 8 years now; may you have many more with Dr. Meador.
I lost my Dad at 90 also. That was 2018 and I feel so fortunate to have had him with us for so long. We treasured every day with him and it looks like your family did as well. I’m sorry for your loss.
After reading this, I read your father’s obituary. He was clearly an outstanding person in all the ways that matter. The table and other furniture and carvings are a wonderful legacy to have. It seems to me as well that you are a wonderful legacy of your father.
Thank you for sharing these sweet memories–it is hard for a girl to lose her Daddy. I still ask mine for advice all the time a dozen years after he left us. Peace be with you.
Sorry for the loss of your father, Ann. How wonderful that he will live on in the art that he made for you.
~annie pickett
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your father was an amazing, multifaceted gentleman.
Reminds me of my dad…he is 96 now but lost his workshop filled with his collection of woods and tools in a fire when he was 90. It saddens me to think of all he lost. I too, have some smaller tables he made, but I cherish all I have learned form him. May you be filled with loving memories.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
What a dear man. I’m sorry for your loss. Part of him continues to live in you.
I love the Clifton Trio and am so sorry for your loss!
lovely memories, wonderful keepsakes.
This is just beautiful, thank you.
What a beautiful memorial of a person well loved as only a parent can be. Thank you for sharing your memories.
Dear lovely Ann, thank you for sharing this story and your Dad with us. What an incredible gift he gave you – with the table , with all of it. I also lost my Dad this year. Much love to you all ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for making your Dad live in our minds and hearts —as he does in yours— with your remembrance. I have furniture my Dad made for me too. Condolences to all of you.
Sending love to you.
That was beautiful. Sending much sympathy do you and your family.
An Episcopal priest friend refers to “touch prayers”; i.e., when you touch something given to you by someone you love, you remember them and offer a silent prayer for them, often unconsciously. I think that’s what the table may be for you. Thank you for sharing the memory. A part of him will always be with you and your children.
My condolences on the loss of your father. You are so lucky to have physical remembrances that every time you look at them I loved your story about him.
I’m so sorry for your loss. May your beloved father rest in peace.
No matter what a Dad does in life it is the memories of who he really was to us , is children. Beautiful memories for you Ann, such a wonderfully sharing and creative man
I lost my Dad at the end of February this year. He was 95…and I too have so many memories. Sadly, my older sister (but she wasn’t OLD!) passed just 40 hours later. Both a state apart and both from completely different circumstances but still…my grief is still a live, breathing thing.
One of the things my dad (who was an inventor/engineer for Boeing as his career) enjoyed, besides his family, was building sailboats and other woodworking projects. I have a keychain made of wood (teak, when you could still easily buy it in the early 1970’s) that he 3-dimensionally carved my first name into. I have my mailbox key on it and have used it 6 days a week for many, many years.
I miss my dad every day. He was a wonderful father and special man.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful remembrance of your dad. I’m sure you feel so proud that his remarkable life and talents have touched the lives of so, so many. My sympathy to your family and to all who knew him. May his memory be eternal.
What a special dad. Sending condolences to you during this hard time. Thank you for sharing.
Oh Ann, I’m so sorry. My dad — also a doctor— died at 74, and a friend who is a Jesuit priest told me that the relationship doesn’t end there. He told me that he had been only 19 when his dad had died suddenly, but that he still, decades later, talked to him every day. And that has been true for me also. Just in case that helps any.
What a lovely remembrance of your dad, Ann. He sounds like a deep and caring man with many gifts. The photo of the three Clifs shows a lot of love.
My deepest sympathies to you and your family on your loss.
What beautiful memories. And holding the work of his hands must be a bit like holding those hands.
Amazing story! So sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing.
Hold onto the memories, they are golden. We are so sorry for your loss.
Thank you for sharing him with us. A treasure.
Thank you for sharing this story of your beloved father. I sit in my family room with two of my dad’s hand carved decoys gracing my shelves. These are a sweet and tangible presence of my dad. I hope that similarly my knitting will some day travel with my family members as reminders of my love for them.
I am so sorry your loss. What a wonderful father. Thank you for sharing your memories of him. It is a beautiful tribute.
Beautiful sentiment about your father.
Love this story even as I grieve for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss ❤
Lovely remembrance. Thank you for sharing.
What a beautiful memoriam for your father. I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m in my hobby woodworking shop in Gretna, Virginia, looking up Clifton planes on the Web, and this piece comes up – how fortuitous.
I reached the conclusion several years ago that life isn’t a destination or a journey, but a relay race – but we don’t know what the baton will look like, who will pass it to us or to whom we should pass it on. But we need to be prepared for the possibility. Seems your Dad had this figured out; good on him!
May your Dad’s memory always be a blessing.