Eulogy

 Good Morning and thank you for coming. How do you possibly encapsulate the spirit of Thomas Rowland Archer, mostly known as Dad or Poppy in our circles, in 5 minutes.
 
Tom was born in 1940 in the small town of Mount Kisco, New York and raised in nearby Katonah. For the most part he was raised by his Elderly Grandmother who passed away when he was still very young at which point the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child" was never more acute. The small Town provided him with odd jobs and made sure that he was fed and clothed in return.

Dad later met our mother Sharon in College, fell head over heels in Love with her, and together they set out with very little but a common mantra between them, family first.
 
Every corner of our life we were blessed to not endure the hardships that our Father and mother did. Every meal there was food, though maybe not always the best, thinking of you chipped beef, we've never known hunger.
 
 Dad instilled in us that no matter what we have God, and we have family.
 
We were taught not to fear hard work but seek it out as it makes us stronger . That money isn't as important as our word and never to stop dreaming nor stop working towards the dreams. Work hard, dream, don’t give up, and you'll be successful in your own right, an idiom we've each heard many  times.
 
Hard work even became our family pastime, working on nights and weekends raising critters, building barns, and heading to horse shows.
 
For all these reasons and too many more to list our family still comes first and we remain close to this day, we've simply never known any other way.
 
But who was Dad beyond an incredible father grandfather to eight, husband, air force veteran, and mortgage broker?
 
He loved nature, especially Sunsets and animals - the enlarged bluebird, twice the size of his peers from all the "love" Dad gave him is proof positive of that. He loved a good cup of coffee, music, art, his faith and his family.  He loved to laugh and had a quirky but endearing sense of humor. For all of your attendance here today he would've offered you each a fish sandwich at McDonalds.
 
 More than anything he was a true people person who put other people's happiness above his own. He accepted every single person as an individual and celebrated what makes us all unique. He thrived on bringing a smile to everyone around him, no matter their background, and his grandkids can verify that he always had an extra peppermint lifesaver in his pocket to share.
 
He was the volunteer soccer coach that would take an entire team of single parent children in the back of his truck to  play in the games, buy their uniforms, and even pay for their registration just so those kids could enjoy just being kids.
 
He would walk the aisles of King Soopers and Walmart  seemingly daily, striking up conversations and telling jokes with anyone within earshot. As children we got used to a grocery trip taking about an hour longer than needed simply due to the 45 separate 1-5 minute conversations with clerks and customers.
 
 One of his favorite things to say was when he came upon a frowning patron who happened to be female. "these are my teenage sons, you're a very lovely young lady, I'll pay for the wedding". Mortified at the time we learned through the years this had little to do with sending us into hiding from massive teenage embarrassment and everything with making another human smile, feel appreciated, and even special.
 
 In every encounter with another human being he taught us to be gracious and to be kind, you never know what someone else may be going through.
 
And so came his final three weeks in the hospital. Every Janitor, Nurse, Lab Technician or Doctor that entered his room Dad would make it a point to get to know them, tell them how much he appreciated them, and make them smile and feel that Love.
 
Dad made sure every single one of them was smiling and laughing anytime they walked in his room. He developed such strong quick bonds with the staff that nearly everyone who took care of him, and there were many, came by distraught when his health didn’t improve. He never once felt sorry or bad but thanked God for his family and for every single worker that had taken time to care for him. One particularly rough evening a very young Nurse Max took care of Dad and he grabbed Max softly by a shoulder, looked him in the eyes, and told him thank you, I feel your care.
 
The day before he passed his eighth Grandchild was born, up a floor from the ICU. The nurses and staff moved mountains the next day, taking Dad and all his Oxygen needs, a feat of absolute strength and fortitude, upstairs to the maternity floor where  he raised his hand in triumph after holding her and helped find her name, Grace May.
 
Dad knew at that moment his time was near. After returning him and all his machines to his ICU room many of the nursing staff came by, some who were not even working that day, to tell Dad goodbye. Every single one of them he would thank and tell them to smile.
 
Today we all mourn but when you think of our Father, Tom, smile, for happiness in others is what he wished for above all else and what he strived to spread.
 
Thank you Dad, We love you, God bless.