As you all can imagine this is not an easy task. Some of you have already had to do this, and some will face this one day. Trying to say something about my dad that could even come close to the depths of what he was, and still is to me, is impossible. I have spent so much time reflecting on the sheer volume of impact that he had on my life. For those that knew our story, know there are no words that are worthy to describe what he was to me. It’s been hard to put into words losing him. At times I have felt guilty for not being able to express just how great he was, or how strongly his absence has been felt. I have come to realize through my reflection, that words were not what was important to my dad.
“What a man does has far more impact than what he says”, in putting together my dad’s memorial page my mom and I came across this quote. There aren’t any words that could more accurately describe my dad. He was a doer, and he did for so many. When my husband Sam first came into our family, he would always laugh about how my mom would need one thing at the grocery store and my dad would jump up and be in the car. We would laugh and speculate it was just because he wanted to smoke his cigar on the way to the store. But the truth was, he did it because my dad showed his love by doing things for the people he loved.
My dad had so many interests and hobbies over the course of his life. Sailing and golf were probably his greatest passions, but he always left time to try new things. He loved learning. And My dad always wanted his family to be involved. So if my dad was into cycling, we all cycled. If my dad was learning to fly fish, we all learned by listening to him talk about the fundamentals of angling the pole. When mom and dad were into running, Corey and I ran right along with them. I have a memory of it being evening in the middle of the week, in winter, already dark. Mom would stuff cotton balls in our ears because the cold would burn, and we would head out on a family jog. The back packing trips….oh, the trips that dad would take us on. Dad was insistent that we carry our own supplies. Feeling like I was going to fall over, with blisters all over my feet. I use to cry, “Why do we have to go too?” Why can’t we stay in hotels and go to Disneyland like normal families? But now I know. 1. Now, those are memories that we all look back on fondly, those experiences were true family time. 2. It’s because dad wanted to show us the world. He wanted to experience everything he could in this life and he wanted his family and friends right by his side, doing it together.
He would spend a lot of his time reading. The safe bet was to get dad a book. He loved history, loved learning about different cultures, and places. He loved music, classical especially. He loved the dumbest movies. I grew up watching the 80’s comedies and horror movies that most parents wouldn’t let there kids watch. I have never seen my dad laugh so hard as the first time he watched A Christmas story. If you look at some of the pictures on the wall today, you will see that movie is set in my dad’s era of growing up. He said that was exactly his childhood in Detroit.
He loved the theatre, especially musicals. Mom and dad, would take my kids to San Francisco and take them to the theatre. Mackenzie would use our stairs and perform the Sound of Music, after a weekend at my parents. Mom and dad took Mackenzie on a trip to Tahoe when she was barely two. Dad insisted on renting The wizard of Oz for Mackenzie, even though mom thought that it would be too scary. Once they turned it on she didn’t move a muscle. Mackenzie was mesmerized. She spent here childhood in a Wizard of Oz themed room. Dad would take Cavin golfing, but soon realized that if Cavin couldn’t tackle somebody he wasn’t very interested. That was ok with dad, he was just happy to see that Cavin had a passion, and my dad was a pretty big Bulldog fan. Averie was his girl, this spring he used every bit of strength to get himself to her La Crosse game and surprise her. He was his grankids’ number one fan and was always there to cheer them on. My children were able to experience so much because of my dad. In my dad’s final days my husband thanked him for helping us raise our kids and that couldn’t be more accurate. He was so much more than just a Papa.
Thanks to the invention of YouTube, my dad was able to continue to learn and explore, even in this last year of health issues and Covid. He would spend his days watching videos of drones flying over his old neighborhood in Detroit, or hang out in Mexico. After 82 years, my dad still had things he wanted to learn and places he wanted to visit.
Education was so important to my dad. He was always on us to study, to get good grades. Always asking “where are you going to college”. He would talk to his grandkids about how important getting an education was, he would talk to his friends, and their kids too. He believed that Education is the key to a great life. And just like everything else, he wanted to share that with everybody he loved. I was shocked to learn, that my dad didn’t get good grades in high school, and that he struggled with learning. Something he didn’t share until I was older. Somehow this makes his message of education so much more valuable. He didn’t give up, he just kept learning.
There are a lot of crappy things about knowing that somebody you love is going to die. But the silver lining is that you get to have a lot of conversations that most people don’t get. We, as a family got moments with my dad in those last days that will carry us through. My dad got to have a talk with all his grandkids. My sister Jill, and brother Corey, also got to spend a lot of private time with him. Of course mom and him had an opportunity to say their goodbyes, with his last breath he was able to make sure that she knew that she was the love of his life.
I was able to spend a lot of time with my dad as well, and I had the opportunity to ask him what he thought was next for him. My dad really wanted to be able to spend time with his friends in his last days, unfortunately he rapid decline interfered with that. So, I really feel like he would want me to share his response with everybody here.
He told me that he didn’t really think about what’s next. He had been spending his time reflecting on his life. He hoped that he had never intentionally hurt anybody and caused them permanent damage. He hoped that he had touched one or two people and that they would remember him as being kind. My dad was humble, he was never one to boast. But looking around this room today, it is evident that my dad touched so many more than just one or two people. He wasn’t a man of words, he was a man of action. If my dad could say anything to us today, I think it would be to; keep exploring, keep learning, keep growing as people. So the next time you step out of your comfort zone, try something new, or take a trip to a foreign place, think of my dad, William Schimeck. I Know that this is the best way we can honor him. He was a do’er, Do things and think of him.
“What a man does has far more impact than what his says”
Each one of you in this room had different experiences with my dad, you knew a part of him different than the rest of us. I know that he is here with us today and I am so glad that he gets to see all the people that he touched, all the kindness that he spread. Please honor my dad, by sharing your stories of him with us. We would love to hear how he impacted your life. If you don’t feel that you can share today, please write your story on his memorial page. It offers all of us comfort to be able to visit this page in times of struggle.
