Tour Day 935B: Fly Daddy Fly

Raised in lazy, deep Georgia 

Where Seminoles used to play

He was the baby of seven. 

A sweetheart then and today. 

❤️

Mama, the apple of his eye

Foretold a better life to savor.  

Hope Diamond’s jeweler name

His path from poverty to favor. 

❤️

Shanty life on the farm was hard 

Meager crops yielding out of the clay

Buttermilk biscuits with gravy

Was his best meal of the day.  

❤️

That recipe made mama famous

Later bringing it to Hickory

Travelers would stop by just to 

Savor home-baked hospitality. 

❤️

Tidewater became his home

This neighborhood, his classroom

Working lumber mills and farm fields 

Dreaming for better days to bloom. 

❤️

A vision for his future family 

Appeared on a Great Bridge ride

From his bus, saw construction

His someday home, watched it rise. 

❤️

One 4th of July, a burrow pit beckoned 

To escape the summer heat

A place of refreshment and fun

He left with his heart complete. 

❤️

A fetching lass from Moyock

Alice stirred in him great desire 

Soon thereafter, they embarked 

Five decades their passion afire. 

❤️

Newly engaged, and undecided

Whether VA or NC would do

He stopped at Kay’s Place for

A game of pool or two. 

❤️

He shared his location dilemma 

With his neighbor at the bar

He said I have just the place

For sale today, it’s not too far.  

❤️

His promise, when a lad

Came true that very day. 

That house became their home

Where his kids would someday play.  

❤️

One day he dreamed of Sunshine

Opportunities for a better life

Pounding Miami streets for jobs

Providing for his newborn and his wife. 

❤️

Job promises made, later broken

Heading home to VA at last

Our prior home unsold awaited

Our future built upon our past. 

❤️

We welcomed a new addition 

Big brother had his little sis

A pair forever unbroken

A love from that day to this.

❤️

He stocked the shelves & rows

First at A&P, next with Coke

Scraping up a modest income

Rich in Love, never ever broke. 

❤️

He climbed the salesman ladder

Rising through Cola’s ranks

Winning with a Coke and a Smile, 

A cruise he won as their thanks. 

❤️

A new vocation came later

After an injury to his back

Giving schools new scoreboards

Wherever Pepsi was given the sack. 

❤️

To get away from working

He drove to the mountain top

The only fear of heights we had

He got too close, we yelled stop. 

❤️

His love of golf unending 

He even brought it home 

His sand trap and green awaited

Where tomatoes once did roam. 

❤️

A natural coach and leader

He taught so many to drive

Yellow busses, bringing kids to 

Schools of Tradition & Pride. 

❤️

When it came time to retire 

To Kitty Hawk, they did move

Poetry books were published

Beach life became their groove. 

❤️

What I remember most 

From this new season of ease 

How many dad jokes flowed 

With a “Harry Special, please!” 

❤️

His love of people & the Lord

Best medicine for any day.

His daily life, a great example of

Worship whether at work or play. 

❤️

All of us, in this room have a 

Favorite Harry-O joke or story. 

Share these with one another for

Our smiles give the Father Glory. 

❤️

For dad knew this, most of all 

We are here to uplift each other 

With a joke, a hug, a smile 

For all are our sister and brother.

❤️

Our hearts are sad, we miss you so

No matter how hard we try

Now with Jesus, mom, all your friends 

New angel wings, we all can say

Fly, daddy fly!