For Father's Day

My Father Is An Uncommon Man.

Written in tribute to Larry H. Armga, 1985, by his daughter Carol.

My father is an uncommon man. He is a man who always does his best at whatever task he is doing. He believes the most important accomplishment for anyone is to have done your best. He takes pride in knowing that he is a good employee and a honest, hard worker. My father is proud that he began working as a young boy of twelve. For his first job he sold newspapers on the street corner. He was been working, and working hard, ever since. When I was a teenager my father taught me, "A job worth doing is a job worth doing well." He lives that motto.

My father is a man of quiet dignity. He very carefully respects the rights and individuality of others. He does not require others to behave in a way that he wants. He allows each person to be responsible for their own decisions and their own life. He taught his children to honor and respect their mother, and as those children have become adults, he has treated us with the greatest respect. He does not offer advice unless asked. This sense of dignity has led my father to assume the debts of others with nary a word to anyone that he has taken on the burden of someone else. Everything he does he does with dignity.

My father is a true gentleman. He has lovely, gracious manners that bespeak of other times when good manners were a hallmark of civilized people. With a quiet flair, when accompanying a female, my father opens doors, walks on the street side of the sidewalk, and allows her to proceed before him when walking to a restaurant table or down a theatre isle. He always addresses his elders and persons of authority with Mr. or Mrs. My father is the ultimate considerate driver. He always patiently gives pedestrians the right-of-way, and is never in so much of a hurry that he will not stop so that another driver may enter the flow of traffic.

My father is a man of his word. I have always viewed him as having a sterling character. He has great integrity. He still believes in, and honors, a gentleman's agreement. If he says he is going to do something he does it. And he doesn't just do it until someone else is satisfied, he does it until it doesn't need to be done any more. I will never forget my father's outstanding example of home teaching. He was the home teacher of an elderly sister who lived next to our ward building. Sister Crump's home was modest and she was a semi-invalid. My father assumed responsibility for mowing her lawn. He faithfully attended to this task for not just the time he was her home teacher, but continued to make sure her lawn was taken care of until the time of her death. He gave a commitment to serve her which did not end with a reassignment. He served her to the end.

My father is a man of wisdom. I have always thought he was one of the smartest people I have known. He is interested in world affairs and consistently reads to know what is happening at both national and global levels. He is always aware of what the best buy is, whether it be toilet paper or automobile tires. He can do your taxes or figure out how to screw the legs onto the base of a table. He can cook a terrific pot of chili or do a load of laundry and does both without any hesitation. My father has always been able to answer my most oblique question. And he always can gently explain why he does things and why he thinks the way he does.

My father is a true American. He is patriotic and loves to fly the American flag. He has had a flagpole outside his home for the last twenty years and flys the flag daily. He takes great pride in standing to show respect to the flag as it leads a parade or is raised at a Seattle Mariners baseball game. He served in the Pacific Theatre during World War II and that experience touched him deeply. He has always espoused that it is an honor to serve one's country and has been so proud of a son who was an officer in the Navy. He loves to see him in uniform. My father has always had great respect for government leaders. I will forever remember his tears and sorrow during the televised funeral of President Kennedy. My father gently encourages his progeny to "Buy American" and has asked how we can in good conscience contribute to the national trade deficit. My father loves America.

My father is a loving, gentle, sensitive man. A challenging childhood left him with the burden of feeling unloved but molded a heart that loves people deeply and sincerely. When my father makes a friend, he makes a friend for life because he truly cares about the people in his life. Even though his children have been flagrantly irresponsible and disrespectful at times, as children so often will be, he has continued to love us and then love us some more. My father responds to the world around him with not just his intellect, but also with his heart. He as been loving and gentle with all his family's many pets. He never intentionally hurts any other living being. His eyes tear-up in hearing of others' sorrows and burdens. He loves his brother and sister, his grandchildren, his children and their spouses, and especially his wife. He has devoted his life to helping, serving, and loving them. They, in return, love him and honor him.

There are few men as fine and honorable and good as my father. My father is truly an uncommon man.