Julie Tirpak
Frank was so many things to me, not just my father.He was my teacher, such as introducing and educating me about the outdoors. Every summer, we would go on a family vacation and it was always one adventure after another. We would go on hikes and he would insist on taking a shortcut, then have to carry us across a river that he didn’t account for. My 1st white water rafting trip was with he, my mom, and my siblings. It was a self guided trip, and I still laugh when I remember the raft bouncing off rocks in a rapid and my mom yelling, “Do something, Frank!” His response? “I am, I am, I’m praying, I’m praying!” And one time he came back from fishing with a huge tear in his pants, and told us a huge fish bit him and tore his pants.He also taught me to love animals and would affectionately call my pets his “Grandpets.”He encouraged me to do well in school, at one point having a contract with me about grades with a very nice incentive for me if I met my end of the contract. However, instead of the contract saying that I needed to earn all A’s or 1 B and the rest A’s as I initially wrote, he had me re- write the contract with my academic goal being an algebra problem.He was my auto mechanic. He was actually our family’s auto mechanic. I will never forget when we were on a family vacation and the muffler got a hole in it, rather than getting a new muffler he just patched it up with an aluminum can and duct tape.He was my financial advisor. After working for a grocery store for 8 years, I wanted to quit and focus on finishing my Master’s Degree. I needed 10 years to be vested at the store, though, and although I didn’t understand or realize the importance of getting vested at the time, I listened to him and stayed until I was vested and am so glad he gave me that advice. He has given me advice over the years about saving money, how to invest it, and to not live beyond my means. I know my financial stability now is because of his advice (that, and he and my mom helping me at times!).He was my plumber, bailing me out multiple times (pun intended).The list goes on and on. He was so many things to me, most importantly, he was my daddy.RIP, Daddy. My heart is heavy that you are gone, but am glad you are out of pain.