What is a Dad? Dad can mean many different things to different people. To some, a dad is the man you share your biological makeup with. To others, a dad is the man who is in a relationship with your mother. To some, a dad is an unknown. I would like to talk about what a dad is to me. A dad is the man that picks you up when you fall down. A dad is also the man that lets you fall down, on occasion, so you can learn to stand back up. A dad is a man who soothes your pain and kisses your booboos when you get them. He is also the man who knows that if you never get those booboos, you will never learn to appreciate it when you don't get them. A dad is a man who vanquishes the boogeyman that lives in the closet and under your bed. He is also the one that let you watch far too scary of a movie while your mom was gone. A dad is a man who is strong, stable, loving, consistent, and always there for you. A dad will also demand those same qualities in you. Stephen O'Hara is such a man. Although we do not share the same DNA, he is MY DAD. He has always been the man I think of when I think, what is a dad. He is Superman and John Wayne rolled into one. When my time on this earth and in this fleshy vessel comes to an end, I hope my children can say, with pride, that I was their DAD. I love you, dad, and I will miss you for the rest of my life. Stephen Alphonsus O'Hara, age 87, of Saint Helens, Oregon passed away on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Stephen will be laid to rest in Skyline Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR 97229-2602.
