In Memoriam

Last week, my family experienced the loss of a great man, my stepfather. He was 95 years old and in good health until about six weeks before he passed away. He lived an incredible life. I will take just a moment to share some of his character. He was a man of faith, polite and courteous to everyone, kind, fair, honest, hardworking, intelligent, and a servant. That doesn’t even scratch the surface. To comment on all of his positive attributes and how he lived, this post would be many pages long. Instead, I’m going to focus on the parts of his life related to prepping.

He and my mother lived in a typical suburban neighborhood. The whole lot was probably not half an acre. For all the years that I knew him, he had vegetable gardens in his back yard. With the help of my mother, he tended his gardens daily. He planted spring gardens, fall gardens, and whatever other gardens he could to maintain a steady supply of fresh vegetables. After “harvesting”, my parents had far more than they could make use of. They gave away more vegetables than they ate. They never sold the extra, they gave it away. He even had plenty left over to can and save. After each season, he would work on repairing anything that needed it and making sure that he had what was needed for the next planting. If a tool was used, it was cleaned up and put away daily.

When it came to the house itself, everything was kept in working order. If something broke or needed to be replaced, it was fixed correctly or replaced with the correct, quality part. He did not believe in getting the “cheap version” of something to get by. He believed in getting the right thing to do the job. He wasn’t extravagant by any means. He just wanted quality that could be counted on. He also kept his home clean and organized. Paperwork was filed. Trash was thrown away. Dishes were washed. He, and my mother, ran that house like a well-oiled machine. Everything that needed to be done, was done immediately. By staying on top of the daily tasks, they were able to relax and enjoy without having to worry about what was being left undone. The house was also not full of random stuff. There were mementos from their lives and careers, but there was no clutter.

He treated his vehicles the same way he treated his home. They have a small truck and a small SUV. They were kept in good (actually great) working order. They were also kept clean. Anything kept in the vehicles had a reason to be there and was kept in its place. There were no messes, no random wrappers. If anything spilled, it was cleaned up immediately. I don’t mean wiped up, I mean CLEANED. He believed in keeping things in the best condition possible. Oil changes were done like clockwork. Tires were never allowed to get too worn. When he bought a vehicle, he intended to have that vehicle for quite a long time. He was not the type to buy a truck every five years; it was more like every twenty-five years. When it was time to sell an old vehicle, you could bet that it would be in the best imaginable condition for a vehicle of its age.

His finances were kept in impeccable order. Aside from the typical checking and savings accounts, he kept an emergency fund on hand for surprise expenses. Not much, just enough to handle the smaller bumps in life. He did not believe is using credit cards. If he couldn’t pay for something outright, well, he didn’t buy it. He kept his finances in order, his bills paid, his groceries bought, and vehicles fueled. He also didn’t throw money away on frivolous purchases. He spent money on necessities and saved the rest. Everything he owned had a use and that use had to be apparent and the item necessary.

Yes, he did own things for enjoyment. He liked to fish. His last fishing trip was about six months before he passed away. Fishing also put food on the table and provided some recreation while enjoying nature. He had an aluminum boat and trailer. He had fishing rods and all that goes with them. Even with fishing, he didn’t have the newest, nicest, most advanced gear. He had the gear that did the job. He took people fishing for the enjoyment of seeing their enjoyment. I often heard of him spending more time baiting hooks and taking fish off than doing his own fishing. Just like with his vehicles, he kept his boat in perfect working order. As soon as he got back from even the shortest fishing trip, he would spray off the boat and trailer, scrub off any grime, and make sure it was ready for the next trip.

In addition to having his day-to-day life squared away, he even had the end of his life in order. All of the paperwork was in order for all medical care. This prevented anyone from having to make difficult decisions in already emotional times. He had even gone as far as having his funeral, etc. planned and paid for many years ago. Every part of his life was in order, including his death. He provided as many answers as possible before the question even had to be asked.

There is something that amazes me about the way he lived his life. I don’t know of a single time that he ever referred to prepping, survivalism, or the like. In his mind, he was not a prepper. This was just the way you were supposed to live. Take care of your business, take care of your home, take care of everything you can for yourself, and provide what you can for yourself. Most importantly, take care of your family. That wasn’t prepping for him. That was being responsible.

While I already tried to live as close to this as possible, knowing this man and seeing how he preemptively took care of so many things, it only drives me to put in the effort to do more of what I can. His life is an example to preppers and non-preppers alike.

Bill, we will love you and miss you. You are an example to us all. You will never be forgotten.

Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.