My Uncle Stan......

I was 4 years old.... I wanted to play soccer just like my sisters, but at the time you were supposed to be 5. I remember my dad along with his side kick, Uncle Stan coming home from the draft to tell me I got to play! Talk about excited!
Many have asked if Uncle Stan was my mom’s brother, and I just pause and smile... No, he was not, and he was not my dad’s brother. He was my parent’s best friend for more than 30 years. He lived on our couch, well I am not for sure how long it was, but it was for a good chunk of time... And let me tell you, the man could cook! I remember him using our oven to make homemade deer jerky…
I think by the time I hit double digits I was taller than him, and I will never forget when he married Jan, because she was like 6 foot, and poor Uncle Stan was, well, not 6 foot...
My sisters and I all have our own memories of him... For me, I will always remember the fishing trips. He would get us day old fried chicken, and off we went... For the longest time I thought the only way you could eat fried chicken was cold... I mean heck that was the only time I ever remember eating it as a kid. LOL! For Paula it was the purple cows she remembers. You know a scoop of vanilla ice cream and grape juice.... For Wendy it was that little MG car he had, and he would literally take all 3 of us kids in it... Lucky Wendy, she always got the seat! LOL! Paula and I were typically crammed in the back; you know where you are not supposed to be seeing the car is a 2 seater... But those were also the times when a kid could walk in to the store at 8 and by your parents a pack of cigarettes, you didn’t get a ticket for not having a seat belt on, and it was never out of the ordinary to see a group of kids in the back of a truck....
Our Uncle Stan was big teddy bear! We will always love you! You will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for the memories, most of thank you for being Uncle Stan to 3 little girls! And thank you for being the friend to my mom and dad that you always were! I know Grandma Kirk is smiling right now having you by her side! Play a game of boggle with her, and tell her we all say hello! Love you Uncle Stan! To the moon and back! Love ya!