We had a 60th birthday party for my dad last Saturday. It was good to see my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins. His party had a Star Trek theme. My mom and I made pins for everyone to wear that said "Live Long and Prosper" I added a funny picture of my dad in the middle of the badge. We had it catered by Carambas. I also had people email me memories of my dad. I wanted to add them here in honor of my dad! I did 60 of them because he is 60 ;) Love you DAD!
1. One of my fondest memories is being at Lake Powell and having the water gun fights and running all over the house boat and in the sand. We were all laughing so hard we almost wet our swim suits.
2. Also in Lake Powell Rob and the other GENTLEMEN watched as I (Judy) floated away in the Lake on an inner tube and couldn't stop the motion. Dee had to swim out to help. The guys were just laughing and yelling out some ways to get back to shore.
3. We loved playing cards together. He is fun to be with. And a great cook.
4. He took us to Hawaii with him as one of the managers couldn't go at the last minute. We had our own condo, car and fun! He is so fun to party with.
5. 'Uncle Robbie baptized us'
6. A memory of Brenda’s is Rob taking her to H. Salt Fish and Chips in Pacific Beach. He took her there pretty often and she loved going with him. The fish and chips were awesome!
7. Makes me laugh so hard at the dinner table that I can’t finish my dinner and have to excuse myself from the table.
8. Taught me the importance of being on time.
9. Jody now has a love for homemade oatmeal.
10. He had a knack for knowing what his teenage children were doing…wink…wink….but you don’t know some things!
11. He never caught Brad sneaking out of the house!! And never knew that Nicole buried her 4th dead frog in the front yard and severed the sprinkler line and wondered why all of his plants in the front yard were dying! CONFESSION!!
12. He drove to Utah to get a Chihuahua for his mom! PS… He fell in love with that dog during the ride to California!
13. Taught the boys how to fish especially in Utah. And they remember going with Steve and Gus.
14. Watching dad (and mom) help people in the ward i.e. moving lawns, pulling weeds, making dinners etc. helped his kids later in life to learn the value of charity and service at home, work and play! We all remember the Christmas when we left presents and ran.
15. Helped kids get into their first homes because he wanted them to get ahead in life.
16. Helped Pay for all 5 Children through school! They all have Bachelor’s degrees and one son who thinks he is a rocket scientist has a Masters degree. The love of education was very prominent in our household.
17. He has a golf swing like Rodney Dangerfield.
18. Taught us how to survive in the wilderness/ and how to prepare for outdoor activities like camping and hiking the Grand Canyon.
19. Laura loves Squaw Peak because of dad. Her friends love Camelback Mountain but we Richardsons hike Squaw Peak! Nicole remembers hiking Havasupai and wanting to keep up with dad’s mountain goat pace!
20. Pahrumping the grandkids out to their cars after visiting.
21. I remember diving down into the deep end on dad’s back. Most times the kids would have to come up for air before dad did. He also does this with the grandkids now.
22. Just ask him about the story when he missed the toilet, fell, and broke it late one night! Yea I heard the obscenity and “SHARON!!!!” All the way in my room!
23. He always bought mom just what she hinted at for anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas!
24. Dad has good advice about money and financial situations.
25. We love watching Sports with him because he gets very animated, like the time we watched the Diamondbacks win the World Series.
26. Helps his kids through hard times, financially, spiritually and with his advice and
Non-judgmental demeanor.
27. Did I mention his Obsession with being on time that now most of his kids have?
28. Dad doesn’t gossip.
29. He has the upmost respect for Papa and Tutu, Grandpa R and Grandma R. He would do anything for them. We call this respect for his Elders!
30. He was at the hospital every day while Grandpa Richardson was sick. He was his patient advocate.
31. Dad, along with mom is right there when anyone is sick and wanting to lend a helping hand. We know we can call on him anytime even if it is just to borrow a shovel.
32. Just recently received his unofficial Certified Nursing Assistant certificate for taking care of mom while she was recovering.
33. Papa lets the grandkids have sleepovers. The kids kick papa out of his own room because he snores too loud!
34. Papa reads to the grandkids. Especially the Gold bug book!
35. Reassured Kevin on his mission that if anything happened he would be there in a day. And he could always ask if he needed anything! But technically it would taken longer because of the 15 hour plane flight!
36. Carson loves papa’s toenails. And one of Brody’s first words was PAPA!
37. Bob R. remembers our hikes down the trails at the Grand Canyon. Rob was such a terrific trail guide that I was able to take Carolyn down there. (We hiked out of there too)! Once she had made that trek, everyone in our immediate family had enjoyed it thanks to Rob.
38. Grandma said that when Rob was in a Roadshow one time he was a doggie, and there was fire hydrant in the show. So for some odd reason he walked over to the hydrant and you guessed it, he lifted his leg like he was going to ---- on it. Needless to say we lost points on the show and a lecture later from Grandpa.
39. Then, every time he would leave to go on a scouting overnight or week, Janice and I would gather up a bucket and big bottle of pine sol and clean his room from top to bottom. It would at least smell good while he was gone. For some strange reason when he returned the clean smell disappeared.
40. And then one day right after Brenda was born, I was talking on the phone to his girlfriend at the time, mother, and she told me how cute she thought Brenda was. I knew I hadn't shown Brenda to her yet and so I asked her when she saw her. She replied, oh you don't know. I said no, when. Well Brenda was about 2 weeks old and we left her with Jan and Rob while we went to a church meeting and while we were gone, Rob wrapped her up real good and put her inside his leather jacket and zipped it up and took her over to the girlfriend’s house on his motorcycle. I about died, but promised I wouldn't say anything to him, and I never did because I was so thrilled that he loved her that much. BUT one time many years later when everyone was home and people were confessing things while we were sitting around the dinner table, I finally let the secret out. He was shocked that I had known about it all that time and Grandpa nearly fainted when he heard it and said that Rob would never do anything like that, and then Rob finally confessed that he had. Grandpa still had a hard time believing it. We all got quite a laugh about it and thank goodness it turned out just fine.
41. When Rob was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken, which was quite a ways from the house, when there was food left over on a Sunday night he would load up his leather jacket with chicken and usually Coconut Cream pie and bring it home with him on his motorcycle again and then we would sit around and pig out while it was still warm, so that was kind of fun.
42. Steve hopes that he can be a good husband, a good father, and a good friend, that same way that Rob has been for his family.
43. I like the fact that I've never seen your dad talk bad or negative about anybody.
44. He always seems to make time for his family, and especially his grandkids. I like how family is important to him and also to his family.
45. I've always felt and still believe that he would do anything for anybody without asking for anything in return
46. He comes to grandparent’s day at the grandkids school!
47. He liked to take his kids places especially on the weekend. I remember a Hot Air Balloon Show and craft shows at grandpa’s retirement community. Things like that were so much fun and have lasting memories.
48. Our vacation spots were San Diego, Disneyland, Utah and Yellowstone. He loves to travel. Especially by Goldwing!
49. When he first got his Gold Wing he almost flipped my mom off the back of it after going over a train track. Her legs went flying over his head!
50. Bath time BUBBLES! Need I say more? First night in their newlywed apartment and Rob yells “Sharon hurry, come in here!” He was in the bathtub. So she runs in and he smiles and the rest is left to the imagination.
51. When mom and dad first got married my mom thought she had married a crazy man. He sleep walk and talked in his sleep. I even think he has hit her once.
52. Always went to Dairy Queen after softball games, volleyball, swimming and water polo etc. And bought for our whole team. He Went to our games and was the loudest parent, always told us “good game” even if we lost.
53. Dad’s triceps bulge out when he mows the lawn. The boys thought this was the coolest!
54. Large boulders rolling down Grand Canyon bounce off dad’s freaking huge calves. (Thanks for those genes!)
55. Taught us the value of a honest day’s work and the value of earning what you get. No free rides!
56. Dad should learn how to hold his own flashlight!
57. Always did his home teaching.
58. Listens to Lionel Richey and Paul Harvey on road trips.
59. Insisted that pulling weeds by hand is better than weed killer… Whatever… AND insisted that we “shake the dirt off of the weed roots”… because you can’t throw away dirt. (now we know that this meant more weeds to pull!)
60. Who is Rob? He’s a husband, father, son, brother, grandpa, uncle, friend, boss, coworker, gold wing rider, star trek lover, plaid shirt lover, under armor shirt wearer, priesthood holder, mountain climber, chick flick watcher, old movie watcher, remote control hogger, cherry pie lover, spoils his kids rotten, he is there for broken hearts, finally said yes to Laura getting her bike after driving to Mesa to watch her get her license (Sucker), cartoon hater (especially Simpsons), educational TV watcher that rubbed off on the kids, jazz and flute music lover, brownie lover and makes Laura bake them, fast walker/hiker, generous, dog lover, nurses aid, afraid of spiders and other creepy crawlers and makes his kids kill them, in need of a hearing aid, a great host for any event, roofing guru, Master’s in Business Administration holder, good communicator at work, teva wearer, outdoorsman, looks like a penguin in a tuxedo, likes to sit and chat after dinner, great barbeque chef, used Honda buyer and HANDS DOWN, THE BEST GORILLA CALLER !
