Thanks Dad.

Today is my Dad's Birthday.   Gosh I loved love, my dear old Da.

Alan Richard Nunn.

He had a wonderful smile,

With is his sister Joan.

and a zest for life.

With mom, the love of his life.

He was silly and irreverent.

With my brother, Darrell and me.

When I asked a question, he'd say "go look it up".   As a result if there is something I don't know, I "go look it up" to this day.

On Hillsdale Avenue after moving to Canada in 1956.

When we were both adults, we went for a walk one day in the rain and created little dams of sticks and leaves in the gutter; watched the water back up; dropped a leaf into the water; broke the dam, and followed the leaf as it rushed toward the sewer grate. 

He wasn't afraid to be child like. 

He taught me to look through a camera lens, and to chuck out bad photographs.

He was handsome, with a dreamy, actor-trained English accent.  The ladies at the church loved listening to him read lessons.

As he got older, his ears that stuck out prominently, began to tuck nicely against his head -- that or he grew his hair longer so he could cover them.  

In the 1970's when he was in his 50's he got a "man-purse", which he had to stop using as he kept leaving it on the bus.  In his early days, he made his living as an actor at the Canadian Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto and the Red Barn Theatre in Jackson's Point. He did some T.V. commercials and radio plays on the C.B.C.   When finding enough work to support his family became too difficult, he had to choose between moving us to the U.S. or remaining in Canada and finding a different line of work.  

He chose to stay.   

He worked his way from the ticket order department at the O'Keefe Centre, to becoming House Manager during the marvellous hay-day of Broadway Musicals, resulting in a life-long love of same for me.  Later, he moved on to Administer the National Ballet School of Canada.  In his mid 50's he changed careers and taught Theatre Arts at Seneca College. 

Did I mention that Dad had the equivalent of a Grade 11 education ?

He decided to rectify that after he retired, and graduated from Trent University with a B.A. at the age of 74.

He enjoyed travelling with mom or my brother Darrell.

Dad in Italy.  
I love this photo as it sums him up.
Wearing denim at age 80, and posing with a pigeon on his head.

 He's been gone almost 10 years.

Gawd I miss him.

When it rains I still find it hard to resist dropping a leaf in the swirling water that rushes along the gutter, and following it.

Thanks Dad.