Thinking of you...

Hey Papa Bear,

Lots on my mind tonight and thinking of you. I miss you so much. I miss your shit-eating-grins and your constant laughter, the jingle of the change in your pocket that I would hear in the hallways at work and the funny faces you made when you were on the phone. I'm not sure I know anybody who loves life like you did. It just doesn't seem fair for yours to be taken from you like it was. You fought so hard, and always played down how bad you felt. A little piece of me died along with you that day, but I try to find comfort in the fact that a piece of you lives on with me.

Love always,

Your Bubba Girl

A Quote, A Thought, A Memory

"To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die."
Thomas Campbell

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Dad! We miss you so much! Though you are gone and we cannot bake you a cake, sing to you and have you blow out the candles...we celebrate your life and the legacy of humorous stories and funny faces that you left behind. Oh and all the photos where you were showing us your behind. :)

Love always,

Ashley

The Ice Fishing Theme Song

Kind Words and Holiday wishes

Ashley,

Not that I don’t think about your dad once in a while and even believe I have heard him from the distance calling out SCUTCHIEEE! But this time of year as I watch the ice form on the river the memories abound of the good times ice fishing with your dad and the so many whopping stories.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to Wish you and your family a Safe and Happy Holiday and to let you know he is never very far away – a Christmas Angel – I’m sure he wouldn’t believe that either.

Steve

Kicking It Old School

I received an email today from our friend Bud Snow, long time employee at Goodrich. He was kind enough to share this advertisement from when it was Simmonds Precision in what he estimates as 1979. Tony (my glasses clad father) is in the bottom left photo, and Bud is in the bottom right photo. This is priceless! Thanks Bud.

Sleeping Tiger, Crouching Gnome

Another birthday gone by without Tony (aka Tony the Tiger). This year I got a great idea. I must have been watching a Travelocity commercial or something, but I thought

a garden gnome might be a funny trinket to leave by my Dad's memorial. I started my research on Amazon.com and found something even better!

They had an assortment of mooning gnomes! How could it be any more perfect? I think those of you who knew Tony would agree, he would have found this gnome to be quite entertaining. I think it's kind of cute, and I hope no one is offended.

I've added in

a photo of the gnome at the foot of the stone, and photos of the stone which I have been meaning to post.

Happy belated Birthday, Dad! We miss you so much!

Love always,

Ashley

Message from Jake

Dad

Friday, December 12, 2008 at 10:43AM

Our Father, who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy Name. 
Thy kingdom come. 
Thy will be done, 
On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our trespasses, 
As we forgive those who trespass against us. 
And lead us not into temptation, 
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom, 
and the power, and the glory, 
for ever and ever. 
Amen.

Late Thursday evening of December 11th Anthony Dean Ringer ended his battle with cancer. While his soul wished to continue his struggle, his body could no longer endure. He was in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family and friends. I’ll miss you dad and I love you forever. You will always be with me in my heart and soul. Please watch over me and continue to guide me so I can be at least half the man you were. God rest your soul.

April Fool's Day

Story from Ashley

I remember one year, I was probably in 1st or 2nd grade, and Dad picked me up from school.  We took the southern most exit out of Vergennes, and he told me we were going to go see the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie.  I was really excited!  I LOVED the Ninja Turtles.  Then he turned back into Vergennes at the northern most entrance and said "April Fool's Day!"  Honestly, I was so young still that I wasn't upset...just confused.

Still, there was plenty of opportunities to get revenge.  Now for those of you who knew my Dad well enough probably knew that he was the KING of giving people trouble, but didn't exactly enjoy receiving it back.  Well, again I was a bit young to understand that when we decided to seek some payback.  Just some of the things we pulled on Dad:  Switching the sugar and the salt...does not make for good coffee or corn.  Balloons filling the shower...rather unpleasant to jump into before work.  I feel sure there were a few more that we pulled on him, but that only lasted one or two April Fool's Days...

Finding Dave's 1st Deer

As told by Mary Ringer...

Tony, Fred, Dave, Ray and Harold Field were hunting by the lake.  Tony chased a deer by Dave.  Dave shot twice and hit it on the second shot.  The deer kept running.  They looked all morning for the deer and after hours Dave went home with his head in his hand.  They went back in the afternoon.  Tony found the deer, dragged it out and asked Dave "is this what you were looking for?"  Dave was very excited.  Dave thought Tony was as excited as he was for finding the deer.