Uncle Duncan

This post is actually three days late. I had wanted to post on Sunday July 13th, but I couldn't figure out how to get a picture... but I now have it.

July 13th 1955

Today is my Uncle Duncan's birthday. He left his earthly family and returned to his heavenly family June 6, 2007. This past year was a hard year for his family. So many firsts to have to overcome, we did we survived, with a little bumps along the way.

I have so many fond memories of my Uncle Duncan...

When I was 12 my first babysitting experiences was with Duncan's family. I would get to spend the night all weekend. I would watch (the boys) Ryan & Kenny at night but I always remember the daytimes. We would ALWAYS get Weinerschneitzel for lunch while Duncan did the yard work. I think that's the only time I ever ate Weinerschneitzel...

Going back to Jr High School... He was the highlight of all our family parties always trying to make us laugh. He thought it would be a good idea to swim in the pool with his pants down showing his butt and swimming like a dolphin so his bare butt would be exposed. I can remember sitting at the lunch table after our parties and telling my friends what crazy things he did.

There was the Christmas that my mom gave Uncle Duncan this hideous looking PLEATHER jacket (as a joke). He really played it up. He put it on and was strutting his stuff and told my Aunt Janine that he was going to wear it everywhere, she was not going to have that!! Janine made sure to put it back in my mom's car. Every year my mom would add things to it and re-gift it to Uncle Duncan. When the jacket was finally retired it had a Zebra print collar and cuffs and tiny Christmas lights on it.

As I had children he loved them and treated them like his grandchildren. When CJ was little he punched Duncan jokingly and Duncan said "Hey! Your a Rude Dude!" That then became their little joke. He would jokingly call CJ "Rude Dude" and we started calling Duncan "Uncle Rude Dude". I always thought he should change his company name from "Gordon Construction" to "Rude Dude Construction". He thought that he might not get that many bids with that kind of name.

Aunt Janine and Uncle Duncan would babysit the boys and spoiled them, they took them to Johns Incredible Pizza. When we went to pick them up they were still busy playing. The boys had a blast and loved the fact that Duncan kept giving them credits on their playing cards. They had so many goodies from those times.

Uncle Duncan passed early in life, but the life he lived was full of purpose and kindness. He was a wonderful uncle, brother, father, husband, builder and friend to name a few. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him and long to hear his laugh. I know that is happy and well rested where he is and is looking over all of us. I know that he is extremely proud of his family. Janine was in the process of getting hired on with Montclair Police Dept when he passed, she is currently working there in the Records Dept. We got a chance to visit her new building and met her supervisor's. They couldn't express enough how highly they think of her abilities and personality. Ryan finished up the jobs that Gordon Construction had and is now currently working as a foreman in a construction company. Kenny just finished boot camp and tech school with the United States Airforce. I know that Duncan is proud of his family, because they astonish me with the obstacles that they have had to overcome this past year. I am proud of them and love them dearly.

Chris & I took our boys to the cemetery on Sunday to celebrate Duncan's birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to him (of course in the Gordon howl...) and told him how much we love and miss him. As we were talking with our boys it was decided that we need to have a party next year on his birthday.

Happy Birthday Uncle Rude Dude, We Love You and Miss You!!