Airport to Mark

Me: "Airport to Mark.... Hey Daddy... DADDY!" Daddy: "Yes, darling" Me: "Whatcha doin"... Daddy: "I'm flying love" Me: "Oh ok, well... (random talk about the airport) This was a very typical everyday conversation on the radio back when I worked at the airport in high school and college. Man, I sure do miss those conversations...

My daddy grew up around the airport and I guess he never really thought about doing much else. He and my mother were middle school sweet hearts and both went to ASU, where daddy played football. He must have been pretty good because the past two times I've seen the Governor he always asks if Mark is my daddy and then talks about what a beast of a football player he was! Ha! After college daddy came back to DeWitt, learned to fly and married my lovely mother Margo. They also had us three fabulous children... I'd say they did an especially great job on the second one!...

Daddy was the hardest worker I believe I have ever known. Some days he would get up at 4:30, get in an airplane at 5 and stay in there working all day till dark around 8:30. He would then do the necessary maintenance odds and ends and not make it home till 9:30 or 10! Other days he would sit at the airport for hours on end reading and just waiting for the wind to change. He would sit there all day just in case the wind switched a few degrees and he could get out a few perfect passes, so as to not disturb a neighboring crop. That's just how he was, he was loyal to his customers and wanted to perform the very best job to please them.

Sure wish I would have inherited that patience... Luckily, I inherited a few other things of his that I will carry on forever... His eyes, his hard work, his determination, his tendency to leave cabinet doors open, his lack of hearing, his habit of leaving empty bottles around the airport, and one of my favorites, his sense of humor! You see my daddy wasn't exactly a social butterfly. He wasn't much for parties, going out to eat, or socializing with lots of people in general. If he wasn't at the airport he was either at home on the couch watching Nascar, football, or our favorite "Swamp People", or he was at David's shop shooting the bull or getting ready to go hunting. And although he wasn't one for entertaining... He was really, really funny. He had a great sarcastic sense of humor and loved a practical joke! He didn't say much so when he did it was usually important or pretty funny! Bless my mother's heart, if she didn't get it from me she would usually get it from him. Even in the last few weeks, I think he helped himself and all of us by continuing to laugh and crack jokes. He would get really tickled when I would help him up and boast about my massive arm strength (or lack there of) and also on a few occasions when he fell he would start laughing and blame it on my mom for pushing him! Hahaha!

My aunt recently said she read the following quote "You can judge the character of a big man, by the way he treats a little man" (or something along those lines) By this definition I think my daddy had a wonderful character. He always treated everyone with decency and respect and was never quick to judge. He always cared about his workers and wanted the very best for them. He loved my mother, his children, and told us often. He worked hard to provide for us and wanted only the best for his children. (He also liked to often tell me that I was his, he bought me and paid for me and had the papers to prove it :)) I am so blessed that he was my father and that I got to spend 26 fabulous year learning from and laughing with him.

My daddy loved his profession and in my opinion was the greatest crop duster AufderHeide Flying Service ever had. On the day of his funeral Heath Baker, David Bullock, Brandon Everette, & John (Dubber) Trites (in an Ag Cat like my daddy used to fly) performed a lovely flyover where Dubber split from the other planes and flew off into the sunset... What a perfect tribute.... I like to think my daddy is up there flying around in heaven, looking down on us and smiling. The airport just isn't the same without him and we miss him every day; however, it's certainly comforting to know that my guardian angel is already so experienced at flying! :)