By Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
I am remembering my father as many of us are doing as we approach Father’s Day. Let me just say a few words about my father, who gave me more than I had given him in return. We lived in Queens Village on 213th Street and 102nd Avenue in a corner house. It was 1963 and my mother had just passed away. My father was then 72 years old and I was 14 years old. My father had to take care of me and an elderly blind boarder named John as well.
My father said he had to remain strong for me. He kept working two more years as janitorial help at Grace Lutheran School in Queens Village. He had to give up our car because he could no longer afford the repairs on the car. My father loved me and couldn’t give me a lot, but he gave me those things that money couldn’t buy. He taught me to respect all people no matter how different they may be. He also taught me to do what was right and to volunteer to help those in need. My father was a loving man and father who cared about the world we lived in and had many strong opinions. He lived to the age of 83, but got to see me graduate from Grace Lutheran Elementary School in Queens Village and Thomas Edison High School in Jamaica. He was a good man who taught me to be the same.
Now, this Father’s Day let’s wish all fathers a happy and blessed Father’s Day. As for me, I will always remember my father, Frederick Bedell Sr., who was a most remarkable father.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village
