Father's Legacy to his Son is Everything

Next Sunday is father’s day. What do you get a father who has given you everything?

My Father has always been an amazing man, the epitome of the American dream. He left home at age thirteen with fifteen cents in his pocket and never looked backed. Navigating his way around the country working on steamer ships, he settled in San Francisco where he met and married my mother. Fiercely independent and always motivated he constantly lives the family motto; put it to a venture.

In 1955 on their honeymoon, my parents came to Alaska to start a car leasing company. During the last forty-nine years they’ve grown a two person business into the largest statewide company of it’s kind in Alaska. Today, one hundred Alaskans from Fairbanks to Petersburg are the lifeblood of our family business due to the sacrifices my father made. Through earthquakes, floods and oil spills no challenge was ever too big.

And his desire to find solutions applied to making Anchorage a better community as well.

Over thirty years ago my father played a pivotal role in creating the Walk for Hope. After witnessing the cramped living conditions of mentally retarded infants, he began the effort to create Hope Cottages. The motivation behind the walk was to bring awareness to the cause and needed funds to the organization. His efforts continue to pay dividends today as the Walk for Hope stills remains as a premier community event.

But aside from all of the impressive accomplishments he’s accrued over his lifetime, none are greater than the two most important gifts he’s given to me: a love of politics and the desire to find solutions. But while my love of politics has been understandable, my methods of advocating for solutions have caused my father some concern.

In 1973 my father ran for Anchorage Borough Mayor. At the young age of eight I was willingly immersed into politics. Tagging along to meetings at the old borough offices on Tudor Road or begging to ride along in the campaign bus, no event was passed up. On weekends I’d stand in front of the University Center Mall with my father handing out campaign literature. I’d never tire listening to him talk to voters about roads, schools and the challenges of a growing Anchorage community.

My father has always been a Republican Party loyalist. It is because of him that I registered as a Republican when I was eligible to vote. In 1992, after forming the Lincoln Society to help support Republican candidates, my father was named Republican Man of the Year. Today he still mingles with some of the most powerful names in politics.

Ironically, it’s politics where I have caused my father the greatest concern.

By applying his long and successful history of independence and refusing to give up on unmet challenges, I’ve ruffled the party establishment on more than one occasion.
From angry phone calls from the party chairman to lectures of being a team player from senior Republicans, my father is constantly paying for the sins of his son. Over the last eighteen months of writing a Sunday opinion column and occasionally taking Republican leadership to task, I’ve endured a commensurate number of what I call quiet Mondays.

Last month I had the honor of giving the commencement address to the Class of 2004 at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka. In my speech I told graduates, “Everything you’ve ever heard about eventually becoming your parents is true. Embrace it don’t ignore it. Use the valuable life lessons learned from your parents to create a better world and a stronger next generation”.

At eighty-four my father is still the Chairman of the family business. When he calls me into his office I still go quickly and when he talks about business I still listen intently. But when the topic is political advice, I’ve elected to follow the lessons he offered as a father rather than the words he’s offering as a friend.

In short, I’m becoming my father.

So what do you get a father who has given you everything?