My Dad

Depending on your age, you may or may not recognize the woman in the photo below with my recently deceased father. Back when television was in it's infancy, Dorothy Collins had a wonderful showbiz career, thanks in large part to the help my dad gave her (she was local). She was co-hosting the Arthur Godfrey Show at the time this photo was taken.

Percy J. Beneteau was an "icon" in this area. He was an accomplished musician, tickling the ivories til all hours in the depression era (and beyond)  clubs in the Windsor/Detroit area with the likes of Danny Thomas. On Saturday nights, he would grab a few hours sleep to make it to church to play the bellowing pipe organ, at all masses, every Sunday. He did this for his entire adult life.

My dad also hob-nobbed with Johnny Wilson (New York Ranger's defenseman and later, coach of the Detroit Red Wings) and other NHL hockey players and entertainers of the 40's, 50's and 60's.

My father was also a great humanitarian, a lifetime member of The International Lions Club. One of the "5%" who attended every meeting, and performed all the community service work he was not only called upon to do, but which he so often initiated. His list of personal accomplishments would take up an entire website and his death in 1996 was a real loss, to literally thousands of people. His "other" passion in life (aside from music) was golf, and my dad, in the company of his best friends, died painlessly of a massive stroke (please don't:-) on the 7th hole of the private golf club he proudly belonged to.

My dad's funeral was the largest I had ever attended. Although in my heart I knew why, it was meeting all those people whose lives he had touched in his 83 years that I wasn't even aware of that really made me appreciate the living of a selfless life.

A few months after his death, my father's good friends set up a permanent music scholarship at the University of Windsor in his name. A public ceremony was held in which the music elite of this area performed and spoke. I was honored to have delivered the eulogy to the packed audience at what was a magical 3 hour event. 

My mom, Laura, was a devoted housewife for over 40 years and lives just a few blocks from here. She has made the major adjustments of losing a lifepartner admirably (although I still have to fix the plumbing and change lightbulbs:-) and she finally has her home the way she always wanted it - without the clutter that a grand piano, upright piano, Hammond B3, tape recorders and ALL the sheet music and tapes brought:-) She misses my dad terribly.

In 1994, Pope John Paul II bestowed on Percy J. Beneteau, the Benemerenti Medal, the highest civilian award given by the Vatican.

Bob lost his life in the infamous Kansas City Hotel Disaster when the catwalks collapsed (over a 100 people were killed) as people were swaying to the beat of the band playing below in the lobby. My brother had "made it" from a door-to-door salesman at Fuller Brush (which was housed in KC) to a Vice-President of the company. He was late to give a speech in the main floor ballroom of the hotel because he too was enjoying the music when the accident occurred. Robert Charles Beneteau was 44.

I visited the site in 1997 and was saddened by the fact that not a memorial, plaque or any acknowledgement of these victims and their families existed in the hotel.

Bob left behind 4 great children, all of whom I am close to. Each of them remind me of their dad, a guy who could sell you the shirt off your back at twice the price you paid for it and you still love him:-)

My sister Pat's life was taken early too, a victim of a 10 year battle with cancer. The surefire life-of-the-party, Pat enjoyed life to the fullest. She never ventured out into the business world and conquered, but she could have. The last year of her life was especially difficult for me as she chose to die at home. Like me, she didn't subscribe to the "business" of medicine. Watching my sister fade away was heartbreaking, but at the same time, she lived life on her own terms and I will forever admire her for that.

Pat made beautiful ceramics and one of my most prized possessions is a beautiful young boy playing a cello that she gave to me a few days before she died.

I have 4 surviving sisters (surrounded by women all my life:-) and we are all very close. Barb is a successful real estate agent with 3 grown children with children of their own (I'm an uncle and great uncle ????? times over:-). Lisa, has 2 beautiful girls and runs the office of a successful insurance brokerage. Kim, who lives in Hamilton, Ontario (a computer program developer), was married a few years ago and just had her second child. And Dee, my youngest sis, is one of the most amazing pianists I've ever heard!

Well, that's my immediate family history. As we are French Canadian and our family tree is pretty well a forest, I won't go on:-)  

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