On the afternoon of January 22, 2020 at 2:30 in the afternoon my father, John T. Deary, passed away. This came as no surprise since he has been unwell for the last couple of years. When I heard the news I was immediately relieved that he was finally at peace and no longer having to live in pain, and with the increasing loss of his values and precious dignity. For all of us who have witnessed his physical and cognitive decline over time it has been very painful.
Any attempt to describe his impact on my life is impossible since its totality is so expansive.He was one of the most intelligent people I have ever known and he had a very.strong and well developed sense of discernment. I think I made him proud by becoming a teacher since he valued education so much. One of the things I will miss most is calling him for his opinion on a number of subjects and the newspaper clippings he would periodically send me that spoke on a number of issues especially politics and religion. I still have all of them and I will always cherish them.
To my children he was Poppa. He told them great stories and was exceptionally good at dealing with their behavior. They all easily related to him and talked about him often. It is now up to me to keep his memory alive to them. It is a responsibility I do not shun or take lightly. His memory will never die.
Finally, I thank him. His life was a testament to hard work, faith, fidelity and moral character. Every opportunity I have ever had came from him and the groundwork he laid. I have often said to others that my childhood was not one where I had everything I ever wanted but it is as one where I had everything I ever needed. That is true because he was who he was. That is his legacy and I can only hope it will be mine.
T.S. Deary
2/16/2020
Pictures Assembled From Memory 