Page 13 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

wwii

We lived in grandchildren and ten
Dallas, in the great grandchildren.
same house, for Family is very
over 52 years. important to him and
Dad worked as a he often says, “I have
District Manager the best family in the
for 18 years with whole world.”
American Tobacco Co., then in 1972, he bought a small
automotive repair shop in downtown Garland. Chet’s He also adds, “The
Automotive was known as one of the best repair shops Lord has guided me in
in the area. Dad trained a lot of mechanics and, at the right direction and
one time, was the President of the IASA, Independent watched over me all my
Automotive Service Association, in Garland. He retired life. Thank you, Lord.”
in 2000 at the age of 74 and sold the business.
Years of retirement included playing golf and
volunteering as a marshal at a local golf course. He was
a 32nd Degree Mason and Shriner and was inducted as
the Grand Master of the Garland Shrine Club. He spent
many hours supporting those organizations and the
Shrine Hospital and selling ads to send children to the
Shrine Circus in Dallas.

In 2012, Dad made the difficult decision to leave
Dallas and move to Lubbock because he could no
longer take care of Mother alone. She was diagnosed Kincaid Roofing
with Pick’s disease, a frontal temporal lobe type of
dementia. In October 2012, my parents moved only
five houses away from me. Life was hard for him
as Mother’s dementia and disease progressed, and Proudly Salutes
she no longer recognized her husband or children.
Claudine passed away on February 16, 2017. They
had been married just three months short of 74 years.
He was heartbroken without her. our Veterans
But later that year, Chet was excited to be accepted to
go on the South Plains Honor Flight to Washington
DC. Fate intervened again, and two weeks prior
to the flight in October, he was hospitalized and
diagnosed with Stage 4 colon and liver cancer. He
had to withdraw from the Honor Flight, much to his
disappointment. Dad chose to start chemotherapy
at the age of 92 and continues to this date getting
treatments at Joe Arrington Cancer Center every
three weeks. He continues to drive and lives alone,
with care from Nancy. He frequently enjoys meeting
with friends and older vets for breakfast and lunch
at a local cafeteria and supermarket deli. He is very
proud of his service for America and proudly wears
his WWII veteran cap everywhere he goes.

Besides his three daughters, Dad has six

Lubbock Senior Link 13