Obituary
My Father’s Watch
As I look down at
the watch on my wrist, it is nothing to speak of. It is not expensive, it is
just a Timex with a well-worn metal band, dents and all. Its face is scratched
and beaten, yet everything about it works just as it should. I guess the
marketing jingle was right after all. It is a tough watch that has seen many
years, many joys and many trials.
Terry was called
home to be with the Lord on May 13, 2025.
He is survived by:
His wife, Charleen; his daughter Severin and her husband Ed Scott and their 4
children; his son Shane and his wife Jenn and their two sons, Colin and
Wyatt.
He is also survived
by: His sister-in-law, Cheryl and her husband Steve Crockett; Cheryl’s
son Justin Orton, and several nieces and nephews.
Terry was known for
his sense of humor. He could light up a room with his infectious laugh. Born in
Chehalis, Washington, Terry’s parents soon moved to Salkum, where he and his
brother Denny spent most of their childhood. He later moved to Gold Beach, Oregon
as his family followed the logging industry. He later moved to Del Norte County
in California during his high-school years and lived much of his life near the
Smith River in Hiouchi and Gasquet.
My dad has been and
continues to be an excellent example of sacrificial fatherhood. He owned
Pacific Trailer Sales in Crescent City for many years. Dad loved running his
business. I recall many times where my sister and I would go to work with him.
We would play in the store for hours, pester his employees, and make ‘witches
brew’ out of the stale cold coffee in the back and watch ‘Flipper’. He would
entertain friends throughout the day as they would stop in for random parts for
their RVs and always had time to help a friend. One friend, named ‘Milt’, a
fellow recovering compatriot, would stop by at noon to play cribbage during
lunch hours. Dad always had an open spot in his day for those that were also
recovering. He gave his time freely with compassion and grace.
Knowing that he
needed to provide a more stable income for his family and provide an
opportunity for Sev and I to go to college, he gave up his private enterprise
to work for the Del Norte County Road Department grading the backroads of the
county, from which he retired. His sacrifice of something he loved in order to
support his children is emblematic of the heart of a father who wanted nothing
more than to make sure his kids had a good chance in life.
God has so richly
blessed my dad. As I looked down at my father’s watch on my arm this morning, I
was keenly reminded of those blessings, which I will briefly recount a few. God
gifted my dad with a mother, Velma who loved Jesus with her whole heart, prayed
without ceasing and instructed us to do the same. God gifted my dad with a wife
who loves Christ dearly and loved him faithfully through good years and hard
years. Her sacrificial and patient love for him and the rest of us is
unmatched. God blessed my dad with a wonderful daughter and son-in-law who love
God and serve others sacrificially. God blessed my dad with a son and
daughter-in-law that delighted his heart, who also follow Christ. God blessed
my dad with six grandchildren, all of whom are Christians, full of joy and love
for others. God blessed my dad, before he was called home, with the news of a
great grandchild due to arrive in the fall of 2025. But the greatest
blessing given by God to my dad was his salvation. Dad didn’t know Christ for
much of his life, but God was faithful and brought him to repentance and faith
in the last 25 years of his life. Dad told me before he went home,
that he felt that he didn’t run the race well, but I reminded him that he has a
Savior that ran the race for him and that what matters most is that he finished
well because of what Christ did for him. Dad was “excited to go
home”.
My prayer for my
family immediate and extended, and anyone that reads this, is first to repent
and believe the Gospel. Know that it is only Christ who saves you from God’s
wrath, He paid your sin debt on the cross so that you can have life everlasting
and right standing before Him. Second that we can live for those God has
entrusted to us sacrificially and lovingly like my dad did for
us. So, I will wear this tired, scratched up old watch as a
reminder.
The best thing I can
do to honor him, and to glorify God is to love my family the way my father
loved his. To teach them to follow Christ closely and run their race well for
God’s glory. I wish I could have one more day in the duck blind with my dad, I
would ask so many more questions about how to be a good father and husband. But
until I see him again, I’ll continue to study the scratches and dents on this
old watch to remember what my father has done for us and will ask God for the
grace and grit to carry on so that one day I too can see my future
grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family faithfully following
Christ.
I look forward to
seeing you in Heaven Dad, Love Shane.