Age is catching up with all of us. However, when we lose someone that is close to us, it is really hard. My father-in-law was a retired electrical engineer from Bell Labs. He loved to work with me on my new N&W layout. At the age of 86 years old there was very little that he could do physically with respect to building the layout. But, when it came to electronics, he was THE MAN. I am a “4F” when it comes to electronics. DCC certainly helped me get my layout going. But I had trouble building the control panels with the DPDT toggle switches, red and green LED’s ( for turnout position indication) and the Kadee electromagnetics. Even the drawings with written instructions were difficult. Well, Ed (my father-in-law) was able to make draws and explain to me what to do. Sadly, Ed feel Tuesday this week going out to get the mail. He broke his neck. He was still awake and moving everything when they got him to the hospital. He stopped breathing in the CAT scan machine and they had to put a tube down his throat to help him breath. The spine surgeon said that they could only fix a portion of the fracture/dislocation and Ed would spend the rest of his days in a nursing home. My mother-in-law knew that he could not go through life like that and with the agreement of the family and the doctors, she had them remove the breathing tube on Thursday. He died shortly afterwards. He was my father-in-law, but Ed was my best friend. He loved his family and he loved model railroading. We had built a small N scale layout in his basement years earlier for the grandchildren. I am going to miss him a lot. I think that the hobby is going to miss him too. He has gotten my 5 years old nephew interested in the hobby. So, I am going to try and do for my nephew what my father-in-law did for me. Help another new model railroader. Please say a pray for Edward Frank Rowe.
I’m terribly sorry for your loos, it’s pretty obvious that your father in law was a special guy weather he was a model railroader or not. It was a tragic accident something that no one could have ever foreseen, but if it has served one purpose it’s to show us that we all need to live life the best we can every day, be good people to each other and love the ones who touch our lives and always let them know that. it’s the things we do and the way we lived our lives that tell other what kind of person we were. Your father in law sounds like he was a heck of a nice guy. again sorry for your loss.
Craig,
my prayers go out to you and your family. Your father in law was just about the same age as my dad. Unthinkable, that in a not so distant day he will be gone.
It seems such a tragic and undignified end for your best friend and father-in-law to have to leave his life and friends behind that way. I am sorry that you have suffered this loss. I hope his legacy, in the model world, is that you now have the capability to do your own panels in the future and to help others the same way.
-Crandell
Will do.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, railroader or no. I hope you have lots of fond memories of good and happy times.
John
Please accept my deepest sympathy on your loss. He sounded like a wonderful friend as well as example for you and his legacy will be the passing on of the lessons learned from his remarkable life.
My other half and I frequently light prayer candles for those in need of special thoughts and prayers for illness, passing or other {such as going in for surgery}.
SO when we next light the prayer candles later today we will add you and your family to the list.
Be thankful for the years you had him, be thankful for the special times with him, and be thankful that he shall face no more pain and agony that earthly life might have had to offer him.
Be gentle with yourselves during this time.
I like the idea that we can mourn the loss of fellow model railroaders on forums like this one.
We always hear about the deaths of celebrities and politicians, so it is good to share stories like this.
Sorry for your loss. It’s nice that you and your father in law were so close, many are not.
I’m very sorry for your loss. At least he didn’t suffer long like so many do. My thoughts and prayers to you and his family
Sorry to hear about your loss. Prayers to You and your family.
[:(]
Our sincere condolences.
These are indeed sad times when family members depart.
There will be a day of reuniting, so have faith and look forward to that time.
Johnboy out…
Thank you so much for your support and sympathy. Edward Frank Rowe will be the name of my railyard. It was have a 130 foot turntable, 9 stall roundhouse, FSM coaling tower, FSM icing platform, scratchbuilt car repair shop and diesel facilities. I am not a certain about the diesel part as Ed was definitely a “steam man” I am going to put together the paper work for the electrical engineer certificate for the NMRA and dedicate it to him. He will always live on in my thoughts and dreams.