Well folks I don't want this too sound to morbid but you all are my family for this weekend.

My dad was an Army Officer during the Korean war and early Viet Nam. He retired after 25 years and kept working another good defense contractor career. He is just shy of his 73rd birthday this year, day after Saint Patrics day.

I am out in WDC on business and it is not possible nor practical to get back to Green Valley (30 min south of Tucson) to watch him pass. He went into a coma last night and will probably go in next 48 hours. My wife Rowena (Renie)and I were out to see him a week ago and all the rest of my brothers and sisters cycled through. Once we had all visited he told my mother yesterday he was tired of the pain and was going to sleep. Agent Orange is a bitch and I pray none of you ever has to deal with that crap or other agressive cancers.

Don't feel bad .... he had a great run, raised 5 great kids, loved his wife better than himself, and can claim "been there done that" for too many things we all just dream of doing.

My old man taught me to believe in God, be honest, that my word is my bond, humility, strength wins, winning is every thing, how you win counts, be kind to women, childern, neighbors, and animals. He also gave me my love of hot rods, tinkering and all things mechanical. Not every thing in our family was wine and roses, but over the years I found out that it rarely is for anyone.

My hot rod trip out to Tucson last week could have been much easier on my wife and I by flying, but Dad wanted to see my new truck. While we were there he had me and Renie take him to Sears to buy a new roll around tool box that was on sale. He was thoroughly amazed at the King Ranch V10 powered monstor truck. Told me, as my mom gets on in years, to see if I could manage to get her a big safe powewrful truck when her Caddy craps out. I made the promise.

I am happy he is at an end to the pain and imfirity, sorry to loose him this early..... typical of our generation..... Cats in the Cradle and Silver Spoon.

If you have folks that are still kicking and healthy.. go spend time with them, putting it off sounds good at the time but the regrets are painful.

My dad, Retired LTC Frederick Carl von Gortler III

Thoughts from a mournful son, Retired 1SG Frederick Carl von Gortler IV

I know many of you will respond... keep the tie in to the V10 forum relevant, many of you are true and great Americans, loyal Blue Oval, and good internet friends.

A Ford Just won the Busch Series race in Las Vegas... Mark Martin is the man! Chevy came up short!

Lets Hope Dale Jarret can win tomorrow

 

Sorry for your loss....good to know that he had a good life.

 

Sorry to hear about your dad, sounds like he is a very good christian man. Remember he will be in a better place. every day we have is a gift that we should take advantage of !

 

fred
that is very deep hard news to hear. seems you and i have had dads and moms that raised us the same way.
i to am watching dad go down hill fast at 84. he still has a love for the usa and the big man up stairs. never mind his hot rods. he raised two boys and has 3 grand children and 2 great . family comes first last and always in these old folk right to the end.
guess some of us are lucky and can truely say done that , been there. i'm one thanks to my parents.
i hate going to see him and see his pain . or hear i'm ready i miss mom. from time to time he asks where are my tools and i have to say safe and sound at my house over and over. back in october i had to sit down with his doctor and say enough , we want him d.n.r. and as i have power of attorney sign the order. that almost took me .
we at times do not under stand what they have done untill its almost to late. his wish is for his ashes to go to sea. that will happen. what he dos not know yet is come spring he is going to take a ride on the restored tug boat he captained in new york harbor. by its now owner. i'm sure that will make his life happy.
chin up fred . you have had one hell of of a life and are one hell of a man thanks to your dad
god bless you and your family
charlie g bmc ret.

 

Fredvon , It takes a special man to raise a special son. Your Dad and You are both that
and I was very touched by your post. When I heard you had left to see your Dad I was hoping it was for a happy visit but I had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.
My prayers are with you, it is never easy to say goodbye to someone we love. Take care and keep us posted. If you want someone to talk to give me a private message with your phone number. Take care, your friend Don aka Wrenchtraveller.

 

Fred,
Sorry to hear of the your loss. Never is easy and you never get over it but learn to live with it. I know--Dad died at an early 56 of a stroke on my 18th birthday. Hey, there aren't any guarantees and we're all on a different time schedule and method. Glad you we're able to enjoy him for so long.

With condolence and respect,
Don (tinbarn)

 

Fredvon4,

Fathers, sons, strong values, and trucks (especially Ford trucks). It may sound contrived, but there really is something to that mix. My own father, still hanging in there, is a retired LTC. I come by my love of Ford trucks honestly, via my dad's '72 (three on the tree) and '79 (460CI, watch the gas gauge move). Now my middle son drives a hand-me-down '97 A*, with the whole family (and then some!) riding around in my '03 E350 (V10 baby!).

While the death (I hate it when people use a euphemism, especially when the person is a Christian) of your father may be "expected," I know it will still be painful. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

DadVan

 

Sometimes it's tough for people to understand, but I know exactly what you mean about being "happy" that the pain is gone. The sorrow is there, but so is the relief.

A toast to your father.

Remember, we're here for you should you need us.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss! I am sure your dad was a great guy, you yourself have done nothing but impress me with your post's that you have made over time, if your dad was anything like you my hat goes off to him!!!

 

Hey Fred Daryl here, man just last week i took my dad [82 yrs old]to tennessee colony tex for a week.He was raised there and we had some good quality time together.Sorry about what is happening,I chatted with you recently on the phone and I feel like we are friends somewhat.I hope the best for you and your family because your dad is probaly at peace with himself.Keep your chin up and be strong for your family.I am really sorry.

 

Fred, I don't really know what to say. It sounds like you two were pretty close. You are proud of him, and I know he is very proud of you. God bless

 

Sorry Fred. Been there. New user but your posts make me feel like I know you. We all feel for you.

 

Fred I wish the best to you and your family. You have always sounded close to your family as I am so I know where you are coming from. My wife and I quit our jobs and moved back to my hometown to take care of my parents when they were ill and have stayed in the area since. We know we could be making more money elsewhere, but that is not important to us. Houses, vehicles, and material possessions are all nice, but are not the most important things in life. Family and friends are and spending time with them is priceless. If you need anything post or PM me. Our thoughts will be with you.

 

Fred, your father sounds like he was a man of God, truly loved his family and truly loved his country. I can't think of a better foundation to pass on to his children. You were blessed to have him for a father. He will be sorely missed I'm sure. My mother has been gone 25 years this August. I still miss her to this day.

My prayers are with your mother and you and your family.

Photogman

 

NoMo, Tinbarn, keith w, SMiller, NickFordMan, bcnu2004, DadVan, captchas, Wrenchtraveller, and the Z71 Killer from Louisania V10KLZZ71S, Jock, photogman, ronin, and all the other 100 something folks who dropped by and said a small prayer or sent me the PMs.

Thank you for your prayers, your kind, profound, encouraging words, and your sincere fellowship. I am humbled and honored that you took the time and I want you to know that sitting in this hotel room as my dad passed last night 2000miles away was the hardest thing I have done in my life.

You all helped me more than mere words can express.

Please do not respond to this last post, I have asked Ken aka Monsta to lock this down and later delete the thread.

I want to close with a brief set of good times rememberings of my dad:

To keep these relevant there is a common Ford, truck, mechanics, and plain old life themes

My dad a very junior officer in 1956 when I was one year old was re-posted from Aberdeen Proving Grounds Maryland (where I was born a year earlier) to White Sand Missile base New Mexico. Dad, Mom, dog "beast" a Gordon setter, and son Fred made the trip in a 1953 Ford station waggon.

My earliest memoris are of hair cuts in Juarez Mexico that my dad took me in an old Ford Anglia that had holes in the passenger floor board and I would cry and cry because I was scared of the little car.

From there we went out to California and live in Oakland while dad was off to Korea for his second trip there. Upon his return back to Aberdeen for schooling for him to get ready for a assignment on the island of Formosa (Taiwan today) we cross country in the station waggon seeing all the typical attractions on the souther track I think I 40. Back out to Oakland cross country some months later this time the northern track to see Niagra, Corn Palace and interninable miles of corn and wheat field... I am starting to get the idea America is one big Mother of a country.

The family had grown and I had a sister and two brothers... talk about pestering in the car! My dad invented the term "you don't want me to pull over and come back there!"

Four years on Taiwan and back to America where we ended up briefly in Joliet Ill and later to Fridley Minnesota. Then back to the west coast for my dad to go do the Viet Nam thing.

Than one very old tired Ford waggon got rebuilt several times with me helping. It dies hard while dad was in the Nam and my Mom had to replace it and she choose a VW Van (my dad was very POed when he came home, very strong Buy American kinda guy)

After his re-patriation he went down to the Oakland Ford dealer and ordered a 1970 Ford LTD station waggon. By now his eldest is a budding teenager with a keen car, motors, hot rods, Corvettes, and Mustangs and all giving me a clue about "muscle" car motors.

While my dad was checking out interior choices in another room I asked the salesman to change the motor code so we would get the "High Po" motor... he winked and added a "X" in that block.... my dad never noticed and I guess there was not much price increase because he rechecked the order form and signed. I do know that for the next three years he was always ticked at the mpgs of that waggon. Out there, probably in a junk yard is a LTD 428 instead of 427.

The same week as the new car my dad bought a 21 foot Chris Craft cabin cruiser used. The waggon pulled that beast every where and my dad was always pleased that he ordered the low towing gears. But still carped a lot about the 8mpg the "Belch Fire" waggon got. We were a camping family and there is not many roads on the West coast my family has not been down.

Because of all us kids in school in the east Bay Area and his job as the 6th Army Inspector General at the Presidio San Francisco, we needed a second work car for dad. He found a 1965 red Ford Ranchero used. It had a Hi OutPut 4 bbl 289, a Borg warner T10 4 speed and Ford 9inch 4.10:1 posi rear end.

He eventualy gave me this as my first car and now you all know why I bleed Blue Oval!

I eventually painted her Targa Blue, a very deep Blue Black metalic Corvette color. I hopped up the 175,000 mile motor, over sized pistons, head rework, crank, cam, Holly, Edlebrock intake, Accell spark stuff, headders, narrowed the rear end, cut tubs in the bed, Micky Thompson N50X15 tires (every bit of 14 inches wide) and used to run low 12s at Seattle International Drag stip.

I got into hobby class circle track racing at the Olympia Tenino 3/8th asphalt track and traded the Ranchero for a F250 4x4 390 powered beast of a truck.

Along the way my dad taught me a ton of tips and tricks working to keep mechanical things working.... The biggest lesson was simple. "You can fix any thing if you know how it works".

So long dad, I miss you and love you. See you on the other side Sir!

Freddy IV out