would have been 100 years old today. Jennings was his name. Jennings Amerine. He was a true man among men. Not because he was “successful at his career”….though he was, but because of the kind of man he strived every single day of his life too be.

My father, lived each moment with principle and integrity. A man who had once given his word, kept it….even if the memory of a promise was scant and the person he made it too was long dead, he remained faithful. A man so thoroughly decent, respectful and kind it was nearly impossible not to think the world of him. A man who so genuinely enjoyed people, that everyone who knew him was quite certain that they were his favourite. His humour was gentle, his manner humble and his laugh infectious. He loved language and literature, poetry, story telling, metaphors and his fellow man.

He lived the last 33 years of his life with the after effects of having had a massive heart attack at 51 and a stroke at 54, and yet even with these limitations he was simply thrilled to be alive. He enjoyed nothing more than listening to the cares, stories and woes of others…and we loved him for it.

Although I shall never be able to hold a candle to him, I shall always be grateful for the many, many lessons he taught me, often without my knowledge. Everything he did, he did without fanfare or any need of recognition. He simply quietly lived his life, marching to the tune of his own conscience, his own internal gauge of right and wrong and the principles and behaviours he held so dear.

He was the perfect father. He was also an excellent example of how well humans can behave and interact with one another when they value common decency and each other.

He is much missed.