Good Night Sweet Father in Law

My father in law passed away this afternoon. His passing caught us all off guard as he was being transferred from the hospital to a nursing home tomorrow. His health has been failing and in the past few weeks he made a rapid decline. He was having an MRI this afternoon to assess the damage to his back from scoliosis, osteoporosis arthritis and a fall about a week and a half ago. During the MRI, his stopped beating.

It was interesting that he passed away on the Feast of the Assumption. He was raised Roman Catholic, but about 30 years ago he left the church. I never knew the reason why, but I prayed that one day he might return to the church. While that never happened, he did have a visit from a priest a few days ago and the priest was kind enough to give him the Anointing of the Sick. My mother in law, also a lapsed Catholic, said that she thought he found peace in the annointing. This morning at mass, I prayed for God to take him home and end his pain.

My father in law was a unique man. He was a foreign language teacher at a high school in North Jersey and after his retirement, he taught at two colleges. He was a sweet, gentle man who was always kind and a gentleman. He liked to joke in a quiet, subtle way and told all of his daughters-in-law (and there are six of us, three sons-in-law and there are two sons who aren't married - do the math - that equals 11 kids) in private that we were his favorite, but not to tell the others.

So, from your favorite daughter-in-law, I bid you a fond farewell. Until we meet again, I will miss you.