Thank you, Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran for hosting the March 2025 challenge. As soon as I read the prompt about someone who profoundly influenced my life, I knew one of my four posts had to be about my father.
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It’s been 47 years since we laid him to rest at the base of the Sandia Mountains outside of Albuquerque, yet his presence remains vivid in my heart. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Vermont, he graduated from Iowa State, where he met my mom and played drums in a dance band to earn his way through college. His journey took him to upstate New York, where he built both a career at GE in Schenectady and a life filled with family, community, and service before retiring to the mountains of New Mexico. |
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My father instilled in me the values of family, hard work, and giving back. He was always involved—serving as PTA President, a Middle School Trustee, and a leader in countless YMCA activities and bridge tournaments with his famed “Schadegg System.” Whether organizing GE golf tournaments, spearheading community events, or staying active in the church, his dedication to others was a guiding light. He was respected, trusted, and deeply loved. He was a family man.
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He always had a book in his hands and made sure I did, too. Tuesday night’s meant a trip to the library, where I’d check out books to devour during the week with my precious library card. He sparked my love for reading early on, and to this day, I always have at least one book I’m working through. |
His sense of discipline and organization also left a lasting impression. He was a list maker, always checking his schedule and planning, habits I’ve carried forward to keep myself on track. He constantly preached the importance of budgeting, knowing where your money was going, and planning for the future. I remember as a little girl when my parents paid off their house—we celebrated! I wasn’t quite sure what it meant at the time, but he told me it was the best wealth builder you could take advantage of. Isn’t it funny that I’m in real estate now and preach that very thing every day?
Family celebrations were never complete without his favorite treats. Though his birthday sometimes got lost in the holiday rush, Mom always made sure his chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting and chocolate swirls took center stage. And to this day, every Christmas, my brother John insists on mincemeat pie—just for Dad—even though my sister and I never quite acquired the taste!
The little things stand out just as much. His playful spirit showed in the light-up bow tie he’d wear to make us laugh at dinner or the way he’d don a skeleton mask, hiding behind gravestones to give trick-or-treaters a Halloween fright (much to my sister’s dismay). He loved fishing, golf, and playing the drums. While he had little patience teaching me to drive a stick shift on hills or tackle geometry problems, he tried—and for that, I’ll always be grateful.
His voice, his laughter, his wit, his wisdom and his smile are forever etched in my heart. He left us far too soon at just 61, but the stories live on, bringing him back to me again and again. His greatest gift to me was his unwavering example of love, kindness, service and love of family.
As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” That has become my motto—because of my dad.
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