Names have different meanings, nicknames have special meanings to individual people, and some people have a nickname that transcends throughout his or her life, in all aspects. Family and friends know one person by one name - and I am proud to say that my Grandfather had a name that everyone called him.
Daddy Gore.
My Daddy Gore, whom I shared with so many people, was called to heaven on December 17,2006. I can honestly say that losing him was one of the toughest things I have ever experienced and in so many ways that loss has brought a close family even closer together, if that makes sense.
Daddy Gore - a husband, a father, a brother, an Uncle, a Granddad that always had a smile on his face, a friend, and a fisherman. Such a man doesn't come along often!! I can remember going to my Grandparents house in Baxley, Georgia beginning when I was just a small child.
My Mom's parents always had a full house, and I would always be happy to be there to see my cousins, Aunts and Uncles, but most of all, Granny and Daddy Gore (even though most of the time all I did was sit on their couch and read!)....I have four Aunts, three Uncles, and thirteen cousins, so needless to say we always had so much fun at their house, which always miraculously seemed to grow a room each time I visited because my Daddy Gore couldn't sit still, he was always busy building something - whether it was a bookshelf or an entire room!
So, as I write this about my Grandfather, I am reminded of his wonderful smile, his selfless nature, and the love he taught ALL of us. My mom, my sisters and brother and I, my entire family....our Daddy Gore was a man who knew how to love and knew how to live! His other favorite thing to do besides hang out with all of his family was to go fishing. He was an avid, professional fisherman and he loved to be on his boat, freshwater fishing for crappie. He even bought a company after he retired years ago called BAB Fly, a company that makes fishing lures.
I believe that each of us in our family, and the myriad of friends Daddy Gore had in this world find comfort in knowing that he is in heaven catching all the fish he wants and winning every tournament! At the hospital before his passing, everyone was joking that he was up there finding the "hot spot" where all the big fish were biting.
I miss Daddy Gore - more than perhaps anyone will know. I know, as a Christian, that he is in a better place, and he will never suffer again, but I'll always think of him and miss him. I think that one of my favorite memories will always be of he and my Grandmother. They were at a restaurant on St Simons with all of us, a table that equaled close to twenty. The tablecloth was a paper one that you could write on and in the midst of all the children and grandchildren, my Daddy Gore and Granny were at the end of the table playing tic-tac-toe together, just the two of them in their own little world. This was about twelve years ago, and I still remember the precious love in their eyes that made me see that after fifty-seven years of marriage - their love was as strong as ever. As will the memory be of Daddy Gore.
The poinsetta was sent to me by one of my best friends, Jennifer Key, after his death. She also knew Daddy Gore by name!
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