"Our daughter Denise And then a child was born, life would never be the same. Thank you dear God. The first time I met Denise I held her high above my head and she threw up on me! Welcome to father hood. It turns out that babies are really messy people. Maybe you knew that. Just the same we were truly in love with this child, our first, and to this very day that has not, and never wil change. Seasons passed, First steps, were followed by others, many others. I found myself running along side her firs two wheeler until I could let her go. I was afraid to, she wasn?t. Denise was my daughter only some times. When things went right, Sue, her mother, would say that?s my girl! Other times, when Denise wasn?t so good, Mom would say ?that?s your daughter. Good times or bad, I am always her father. I remember the good, I?m not sure there are any others. I recall dandy lion bouquets in spring, catching turtles in summer, letting them go in the fall, with a fresh coat of wax. There were birthday parties, decorating her bike for the Forth of July parade and bike contest. Standing on Dad?s feet as we danced. As any father will attest, daughters are very light on your feet, and just right in your heart. There was a myriad of activities, to numerous to list, to important to forget. Christmas was a special time in our lives ,and Denise made it all the more so. As you may know, if it didn?t take at the very least, three people to get the tree into the house, the tree was too small. Denise went on all the Christmas tree hunts, and she could pull and tug on that tree with the best of them. As winter arrives all my girls, including my grand daughter, know we will play in the snow. Denise, like the others learned to skate, down hill ski, toboggan, make snow men and drink hot chocolate. Denise,?Our daughter,? excelled at all of them. Growing up was challenging, as it is for all of us, and many times she ?became, my daughter.? I?ll take that! Denise tried a few different occupations but found her niche in child care. She worked for a few different places, but really came into her own when she started her own day care . The time, effort and caring she put into that was extraordinary. The children she cared for will all be better people for experiencing her teaching, care, and devotion. No child experienced that, and an over whelming love more than my granddaughter, Kayleigh. I was there and witnessed the delivery. A truly amazing experience. I could spend pages and pages on Kayleigh?s numerous talents, but the thing I like best, is that she still likes to hang out with Papa a couple times a week. And she is fifteen! Things I will miss the most are, the phone calls to see how I am doing, and to talk for a while. It wasn?t the topic that mattered, it was the feelings it created. And there were all those invitations. She would say, after you get back from taking Kayleigh, skating, skiing, shooting, etc, why don?t you stay for dinner. Let me tell you anything she would make was a lot better than I would have made. Although, I don?t burn water any more. Denise was always ready to drop what she was doing to give me a hand with anything. I could count on her, She was always there for me. Always! That speaks volumes about her and I will be reading and rereading those for the rest of my life This is a letter no parent should ever have to write. Nothing I can say will ever express he extreme sense of loss this brings. Nor will any words revel the true love and devotion I continue to feel. Denise I am still in love with you, Denise lived March 25 1970, through August seventh 2018 "