MissDeltadad

I hope this is ok to post, since I'm not a pilot. It's coming up on 25 yrs since my dad died, Feb 8, 1995 of Lung cancer. I guess i am hoping that maybe someone knew him, and would have a story to tell that would make me feel closer to him.
Dad got hired by NE airlines in 1966 at the age of 29. He was one of the oldest pilots hired by them. He had dropped out of high school, got GED, joined navy as a medic, got out, became a land surveyor. He married my mom kn 1960 and had us 4 kids. While surveying an airport, he watched the pilots going to their planes and thought that looked so amazing. He started flying at Hanscom Field, eventually getting all of his ratings and teaching flying on the side. He took a pay cut to get hired with NE. Flew out of Boston starting with DC-3's.
Got stationed in Ft Lauderdale in 60's, then moved to GA when NE merged with Delta in 72. Stationed primarily out of ATL, BOS, MIA. Ended up flying 757s. Was a Line Check Airman on the 757, filled in for the chief pilot in MIA at times, and was on the Professional Standards Committee.
Flying was his life. He was the consummate professional. When he retired, it was in the Bos Chief pilot's office, with a piece of the wreckage from a NE flight that crashed in the NH mountains behind the Chief Pilots desk, and my dad made the comment..."well, at least I never hurt anyone". He took passenger/crew safety so seriously. Once, on a long car trip, right after he completed his annual training, my brother was sitting behind my dad, in a big Buick Electra with the windows up. My brother cracked his window behind my dad, causing a rush of air, and my dad yelled "OXYGEN!" and looked at my mom while reaching up behind him. We kids laughed so hard, and my dad got mad and said, "well dammit! If that had been a decompression, you all would be dead!" We still laughed, but the training did stick with him. When i was still in elementary school, I used to practice his checklists with him, reading off items, as he would answer, check, set, off, on. Good times.
I did ATC in the military, and was going to be able to give him his landing clearance as the local controller, on his final flight, but my connecting flt to BOS was late arriving, so missed doing that. I really wish I could have.
I don't know if there are any crew that might have flown with him, but would love to hear it if so.
Thanks for lending an ear. He is so missed. I can still hear his laugh.