[TheForge] Passing on

[Ralph Sproul]

        Hi Frosty,  I'm glad you got to spend some time with your dad prior
to his passing.  One thing about heart attacks and strokes is they don't
allow you to say those things you'd like to say............so I guess the
one blessing to a prolonged illness (like my dad had as well as
yours)............is you get to say the things you want to say, as there is
time to do so.
        Glad to hear you got to make the trip and be with your dad like he
wanted.

Ralph


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Frost" <frosty at customcpu.com>
To: <artmetal at wugate.wustl.edu>; <metalspinning at yahoogroups.com>;
<TheForge at mailman.qth.net>; "snowgoose" <dfrost at customcpu.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2004 3:32 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Passing on


> A week ago my sister, Shannon, called to say Father was asking for me.
>
> Father'd been bedridden for the past year or so, Mother, Shannon and her
> husband Chris have been taking care of him. I've been waiting for THE call
> for a while. We made arrangements for me to fly south soonest, though Deb
> wanted to come there was no way to arrange care for the animals on such
> short notice so she stood watch here. Last monday's redeye got me to
Seatac
> at 5:30am. The rented car and lots of coffee got me to Wenatchee before
> 11:00am.
>
> Dad was lucid almost all day monday and we talked frequently. He got those
> things important to the dying out of the way quickly, we never danced
around
> the important things with each other. Afterward we reminisced, mostly
about
> metal spinning.
>
> Father was a metal spinner for more than 30 years, one of the best there
> ever was. He taught me everything important there is to know about metal
> working, heck working in general. There are of course an infinite number
of
> details neither of us know about, let alone know but he taught me how to
> figure them out. The simple secret is: Pay attention to the metal
(material)
> and machinery, it'll tell you everything you need to know.
>
> Some of my earliest memories are of sitting behind the tailstock of his
> spinning lathe, playing race car with the takeup wheel while he spun.
Dad's
> version of babysitting dontchaknow. <grin> My race car was metallic grey
or
> silver or red or golden, depending on what he was spinning. Each race car
> had it's own sound and feel and look as I roared along. Father taught me
to
> watch, listen and feel firsthand(butt?) and there I thought I was having
> fun. <grin>
>
> He didn't want a service though he picked a patch of flowers along the
> fence, with a view of the Columbia river above Wenatchee for his ashes. A
> portion of his ashes will be coming here to be scattered in the wild roses
> and fireweed in front of our house. The spot has a view of the house, the
> goats he so delighted in when he visited, my (under construction) shop and
> Mt. Denali.
>
> In time Mother will rest in the roses in Wenatchee as she chooses and here
> with the wild roses, fireweed and Father
>
> George Alvin Frost was born on Halloween, October 31, 1917 and passed on
> yesterday, friday August 13, 2004 at 5:15 pm pacific time. He passed with
> his dignity, at home, in his own bed, surrounded by family, at peace, his
> work done. His last words were of his love for his wife, my Mother and the
> last thing he heard were her words of love for him.
>
> I can't think of a better way to go.
>
> Please don't grieve for us, we're relieved, our spirits are high.
>
> Life is good.
>
> Love and hugs all.
>
> Jerry
> ------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
>
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
>
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