Dziadek aka Grandpa Ted

My baby girls Polish Grandfather aka Dziadek to them passed away late in the afternoon on September 11th, 2009. Ted was a good man with a heart bigger than life for his daughter and all of his grandchildren. I’ll miss his quick wit and dry sense of humor that always had you doing a double look and laughing after you realized what he said. He had a tough fight his last days but his loving wife Marney was there by his side and cared for him till the end. My personal thanks go out to the visiting nurses and hospice people that worked so hard to keep him comfortable in his last days.

Telling three out of five daughters that their Dziadek had passed away was tough and I lost it at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of our family chat at the dinner table. I called my oldest daughter and lost it again. I did too many phone calls where my emotions just got the best of me. I loved the guy a lot and his passing hurts to the core. My wife and I may have separated but my relationship and affections for the man that was her father never were part of the separation. He was a good man, a good father, a great grandfather, a thoughtful friend, and always cheerful even though he was in pain for oh so many years.

I think he was an amazing man and I will always cherish the memories he took the time to build with and for his grandchildren. He wouldn’t miss a birthday celebration, Christmas gathering, Thanks Giving gathering, or his favorite event Easter dinner that he cooked himself. One huge ham that he special ordered that was always the best part of the meal. It was always a laugh as he cut and served the ham, some for the table, a sample for the chef, some for the table, a sample for the chef. Quality control was in his blood and he just had to make sure that every bite was just as delicious as the previous. Easter Sunday will never be the same again without him.

All I can say now is that I loved the guy, I’ll miss him, and I can only hope to be half the man he was. I’ll miss you Ted and so will all the girls from the Irish clan side of the Tuminski family that are so proud and loved to call their grandfather Dziadek. From all of your O’Keefe girls, Christine, Nicole, Kathryn, Shannon, Casey, and Hannah, you will always be loved and truly and sorely missed. Rest in peace Dziadek.

For my friend Ted and from my friend Mike...

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Your friend Matthew aka Papamoka

Sad News in the Funny Papers…

Johnny Hart who was the amazing creator of “B.C.” in the comics of newspapers across the land has passed away. My personal condolences to his wife and family are extended.

I love the B.C. comic strip for many reasons. It was funny, it was inspirational, it brought a smile to my face on so many rainy Sundays as I picked the comic strip section to read first from the thick Sunday paper. His creative genius and in debt thought for his strip is similar to blogging and yet it is a generation before. His life was yet another tribute to the folks that have gone on before our generation and lead the way and shown us the light.

Over at the LA Times they have this post on his passing…

'B.C.' cartoonist Johnny Hart dies at 76
From the Associated Press3:54 PM PDT, April 8, 2007

ENDICOTT, N.Y. -- Cartoonist Johnny Hart, whose award-winning "B.C." comic strip appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide, died at his home on Saturday. He was 76."

He had a stroke," Hart's wife, Bobby, said on today. "He died at his storyboard."

"B.C.," populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was launched in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate, Inc., which distributes it.

After he graduated from Union-Endicott High School, Hart met Brant Parker, a young cartoonist who became a prime influence and co-creator with Hart of the "Wizard of Id" comic strip.

Hart enlisted in the Air Force and began producing cartoons for Pacific Stars and Stripes. He sold his first freelance cartoon to the Saturday Evening Post after his discharge from the military in 1954.

Later in his career, some of Hart's cartoons had religious themes, a reflection of his own Christian faith. That sometimes led to controversy.

A strip published on Easter Sunday in 2001 drew protests from Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. The cartoon depicted a menorah transforming into a cross, with accompanying text quoting some of Jesus Christ's dying words. Critics said it implied that Christianity supersedes Judaism.

Hart said he intended as a tribute to both faiths. - The Los Angeles Times

Originality is what Johnny Hart was all about and that is a thing that we do not see enough of in America lately. He created wit out of characters that all of us could assimilate with and know that we have been there and done that.

The turkey forever hiding from the crew at B.C. around Thanksgiving Day was always a great read. The Fat Broad always clubbing the snake to within inches of his life was always comical and genius in its delivery and art work. The ants and their parallel instances of our own lives made it funny because we all saw ourselves in the same situation many times in our own lives.

Johnny Hart was a great contributor to all of our lives and I will miss him and his work deeply. One more candle of light of the sixties and seventies generation has quietly been blown out. His message and thoughts are not forgotten.

God bless the people that bring humor into your life and make you smile. Johnny Hart strived to do just that for you and me in his very distinguished career as a comic strip artist.

Papamoka

Has this comic strip touched your life? Comments are appreciated hear!

***** Funny Humor by Billy Swan has linked to this post...

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