Dad took one last walk through his beautiful yard here on earth today…. He got a better offer he couldn’t refuse for a project from which he will not be returning. This project comes with a twist: a reunion with family, friends and Barney (his beloved dog) that he has not seen in a very long time.
With a heavy heart, we waved goodbye today to our Dad, Donald Gordon Relph.
Dad was a private, authentic person…. He was a man of his word, had a strong work ethic, a friend to many, and a tough exterior.
He was a master craftsman who single-handedly built his beautiful house and craft shed/garage from the ground up. Dad was also great at growing hostas and roses, grilling tastey steaks and pork chops, playing horseshoes, golfing, making knives, crafting garden treasures, fishing, bird watching, helping people ‘fix’ things and he was an avid outdoorsman who could spot a deer, in the woods, while driving 65 mph down a hilly gravel road.
You could always find a friend or 2 in his ‘shop’ trying to solve world problems or maybe just tweaking a piece to fix some thingamajigger.
When it came to knowing fruits and vegetables, Dad was one of the best in the business. And he loved doing it for Dahls in Des Moines for over 50 years.
The old actors in the spaghetti westerns were his TV heroes. And he was the hero for his four children, his wife, seven grandchildren, and 4 great-grandkids.
He was an excellent athlete in his youth as well! Winning a 1st Place medal for the Longest Football Throw in 1959 at the IHSAA State Track Meet and playing on the only team of Russell HS to ever make it to the state basketball tournament. He played on several local softball, bowling and basketball teams into his late 40’s.
But what I remember and treasure most is that he was always a fixer of ‘things’ out in his shed of ‘extraordinary materials’…. His shed looked like the garage version of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I would call him a lot about growing plants or a million other fix it questions after I moved from home. He would always say: ‘Ya just gotta get your hands dirty and make mistakes… that’s how you learn!’ I will miss our talks.
**A ‘nothing too fancy’, Dad style, Celebration of Life will be scheduled. I will post the information here on FB.
Please, no flowers or cards… maybe do an unexpected/unsolicited act of kindness for somebody in his name….Or plant a rose, hosta, or garden.
