GREAT DAD

Psalm 127:4-5  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them....

Reading all the posts that have been written has really been a trip down memory lane for me!  How I appreciate everyone taking the time to write about their memories and share their good wishes.   I decided that I didn’t mention one of the things that really SHOULD be mentioned in such a book, and that is how grateful I am that God chose you to be the father of my children.  What an important role in someone’s life it really is.  To have shared the raising of our kids with you was honestly one of life’s best blessings for me.  It was the FIRST thing I really prayed about after giving my life to the Lord that day.  That I would not only find a man who loved Christ first, but would love me and be the kind of father I soo desired for my children.  And you just were.  You were  ALWAYS there for them, and were the example they needed to see.  You loved them all unconditionally, played with them, disciplined them, and help to mold them into the adults they are today.  Watching you now in the role of “Grandpa” is another gift from the Lord, and I love how they all love you.   But then what’s not to love?  Haha  They are all pampered by you and are now learning how fortunate they are to have you from their Grandpa!

Debbie

MY DAD

It's hard for me to single out my favorite memory involving my dad.  There are too many of them.

Anyone who knows Jeff Class knows that as much as he is anything else, he's an athlete.  As a little kid looking up to him, his strength and ability seemed beyond all reckoning.

From the time I was around 9 up until I was in my early twenties, it seems like my dad and my brothers and I must have played thousands of basketball games on the driveway.  We probably really did, too.  Thousands.

At times it was indescribably fun to spend two or three hours running around and playing our hearts out.  My enduring memory of my dad from those endless contests really has nothing to do with anything he could do on the court.  He was a decent re-bounder and a streaky outside shooter, though he was usually the best player on the court, depending on which of the neighborhood kids joined us.  And they did join us, too....kids from all over the neighborhood flocked to our house to play games, because everyone knew we had a dad who actually enjoyed being out there with us, and there's always been a very powerful, very natural magnetism my dad has with boys of a certain age.  Boys just see him and want to be like him, it's always been that way.

But what I reflect on now, as a man looking back at those times, was the absolutely pure sense of sportsmanship he brought to those games.  He liked to win, no doubt.  But five minutes after the game, it never seemed to make the slightest bit of difference to him who won or lost the game.  He just loved to compete.  He didn't cheat; he didn't abuse his power, and being, often times, the only adult out there, he easily could have.  He didn't dislike you for beating him, he didn't gloat when he beat you, and if you were lazy or sloppy, he'd point it out to you, but he had a way of doing it that helped you realize why you lose sometimes in life.  And in the rare game where some just whooped him hands down, he never had any problem congratulating you, shaking your hand and saying nice job, today was your day.  I've seen my dad get beaten many, many times, but I've never once seen him hang his head in shame, or seen the agony of defeat on his face.  Never.

I know that love of competition, and that sense of sportsmanship and fair play has rubbed off on me.  If I can pass it on half as well as he did, I'll be a happy guy.

Happy Birthday Pops!

John

Through The Years With Jeff

When I look back on the times we've shared, undoubtedly the most recurring memory is "game on".  It didn't really matter what kind of game, there just had to be some competitive aspect to what ever we were doing.  I remember those Saturday nights, usually at your place on Pritchard when we would get together for a game of Mille Bournes.  There was nothing finer than answering  a "flat tire" card with a squealing "Coup-fourre".   The number of cribbage games played were countless,  and oh how the sweet feeling was of thinking, "I've got a "double double run!"  As the kids got older, the intensity of  basketball in the driveway and football games in the street were legendary. I remember fondly a game of football played during Jackie's birthday  a few years ago, where you and I showed Joe and John that treachery, old age, and cunning could still overcome youth and excitement!  In the latter years the post game aches and pains lingered a bit longer, but the visits to Urgent Care were nil, thankfully, or Diane and Deb would never let us forget it.
A lot of good times through the years,  no doubt because we were surrounded by family and friends to share those moments.
Coach Wooden was fond of saying, "Sports do not build character, they reveal it."  He was correct, and yours is a good one!
Happy birthday, old friend!  Greg

Happy Birthday Uncle Jeff!

Dear Uncle Jeff,      Life with you has been fun and I love you very much.  You take  good care of Aunt Debbie.  When Mommy was having Priscilla, you set up the bed in the extra room and you showed me how to work the TV.  You made me feel at home!  Just ask Papa, he was there.  Love, Jackie
   

MY DAD

I will start by saying.... having my Dad guiding me growing up has given me MANY advantages in life.  And the older I have gotten, the more I appreciate that.

One of my earliest memories of my Dad was when I was about 2 years old and playing on my tricycle on our patio and fell off into a cactus.  I remember my dad picking those stickers out of my hand one by one with tweezers.  The next day I remember my Dad and I driving in his black car, (I even remember he was wearing a pair of sandals) and we went to the dump and threw that cactus away.

The next memory that comes to mind is my bud man football.  It was a half red and half white football with a smiling face on it. I remember my dad giving me the football and teaching me how to throw and catch so I could practice when he was at work. He also set up a batting cage machine that pitched balls to me to practice my batting for baseball when I was only 4.  I also remember in my young childhood,  that my dad worked in a store, and would bring me home a new toy every night it seemed.  My Dad played with me, my brothers, and the kids in the neighborhood as if he was one of the kids like us.  He would play hide-n-go-seek, football, basketball, and he can even say we played on a regular basis with Tiger Woods, who lived only a few doors down from us.  My dad also took an active role in my sports life as a young teen including being my baseball coach.  One special sports memory I have and will never forget was the football game I quarter backed against Yucaipa High School. In this game all of our very toughest first string players were literally injured and taken out of the game within the first ten minutes. Playing the entire game with my second string, I continued to lead my team, although loosing the game.  I felt I played my very best game ever.  But what sticks in my mind the most about that game was how proud my Dad was of me.

Some ideas about how to live your life that always stick with me, came from my Dad.  I am not sure where he got these ideas, or even when he taught them to me, but I have tried to live my life using them.  One of the things he always said was, "think of how a plan CAN work, not ways that it CAN'T."  This means to me that any goal can be achieved if you stay focused on how it CAN be done.  That is definitely how I try to live my life.  I don't think of practicality, I don't think of failure, I just think of ways I CAN do what must be done.

My dad always taught me that being a Christian is the most important thing in life.  If we don't have a relationship with Him, we don't have much at all.  Any material thing we have managed to get here on earth won't matter, because when we die we won't take anything with us.  

I am very thankful as well for my Dad's patience, understanding and help that I received from him during my very far from normal teenage years.

As an adult, I STILL often call my Dad for advice,  even for some of my smallest decisions.  He just always seems to know what the best thing to do is.

Dad I love and respect you very much.

Love your son,

Joe

Uncle Jeff

I have so many favorite memories of my Uncle Jeff I don't know where to begin. You definitely make the best macaroni and cheese of all time. Growing up with your boys was such a blessing! I can remember you picking us up from school at Central Christian, and it never got old when someone would ask you where we were going and you would always reply, "crazy". Countless games of hippity hop in the pool. Endless basketball games with you and my dad and half the neighborhood in your driveway. And of course, you were by far and away the best boss ever. Happy Birthday!! Love always, Minnie

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!

I don’t have one specific thing that I think of when I think of Jeff, but an era of time does come to mind. Without even wondering, I’m sure Jeff know exactly when. Crystal Cove. I have some of my fondest summer memories of Jeff at Crystal Cove out in what felt like life threatening conditions. Why we felt it necessary to brave those conditions I don’t know but some of my funnest times out in the waves were spent at this beach. Nowhere else could you find those waves that held you under to the point of possible drowning. As well, I remember several occasions of staggering up to the shore with bleeding knees from being thrown onto the floor of sea shells at the edge. Funny as I write that, near drowning and bloody knees don’t seem to sound very fun, but anyone who loves the ocean would understand.
Jeff has been a great friend to me through the years. I still remember sitting in the car in the driveway on Christopher talking about God. He never lets me forget the ridiculous arguments I had. But I do remember driving home from his and Debbie’s one day during that summer and pulling over to the side of the road and giving my life to Christ. Thank you Jeff.
You’ve been the “tough” big brother I could always count on to back me up and stand beside me in some of my toughest times. Your indignation at some of my times of being mistreated gave me strength. You’re a role model to men for fatherhood and husband and I’m glad Debbie met you those many summer ago and that you’ve become a true part of our family. Much love Jeff and many more years. Danae