Thoughts for the Journey
Since I shared memories of my mother last month, I need to give equal time this
month to my father! I have shared many memories with you about him in the past.
Ones that honor his time in the Army (25+), his wonderful humor, the ability to tell
a great story, his wisdom, and how much you would like him if you had the chance
to meet him. What you might not know, is that he was an extraordinary father not
because of his upbringing but in spite of his humble beginnings.
Richard “Percy” Glenn Percival was born on March 24, 1923 to a single woman.
In a small, rural New York State village, this would have been cause for humiliation
to the entire family but his Grandmother Jenny made it clear that her grandson
would not be treated with anything but respect. She must have been a powerful
force and one that I hope commanded respect from the village. The circumstances
around his birth were never discussed, even as an adult and I have always won-
dered what that meant for him emotionally and spiritually. What did happen for
that little boy without a father was that he was raised by mother, grandparents and
great Aunt Lucy, nurtured by a number of the men in town, taught how to be a gen-
tleman with the ladies, encouraged to be a committed member of the church, meet
hard work with purpose, and maintain a good sense of humor. Sadly, his grand-
mother was tough on him and quite caustic at times, but he never blamed her and
was a devoted son until his sudden death at 68 years old.
Now, he was not perfect. He was precocious as a youth and determined as a
young man. (Ask me about the car on the roof of the school sometime!) At 17, he
wanted to join the Army but his mother refused to sign for him. So, he took it to the
matriarch of the family and his grandmother was able to sign for him. I can only
imagine the conversation between those two strong women! Dad said that he saw it
as a chance to serve his country, to obtain an education, and to see the world. He
entered service just before the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor.
Through that career in the military he became a man of duty, integrity, commit-
ment, common sense, and challenged himself to do better every day than the day
before. He also was definite about his opinions of life, country, and relationships.
Not narrow by any means. We were told to understand your rights, exercise those
rights such as voting, challenge what did not meet standards of right and righteous-
ness, and believe that you can do anything you put your mind to, whatever the
circumstance. My brother and I often talk about what we remember about Dad. I
marvel at how he is like Dad. He was only 26 when our father died from a sudden
heart attack. Yet, he approaches so much of life the way Percy did.
Though I miss him every day, I experience my father everywhere: in my brother’s
love and devotion to his family and his wonderful sense of humor; in the intelligence and ability in my daughters; in my
own desire to do the best for everyone I meet and my insatiable appreciation for knowledge and the life stories of others.
(Dad knew a little bit about everything and said that helped him to ask the questions for others to share their
knowledge.) You know where I see him the most? In every one of you, gentlemen. There is something in each one of you
that reflects my memories of my beloved father. Today, I thank you for what you put into the world that brings us closer
to equity, justice and room for all. You would have loved my dad. And you would have had some of the
best conversations and some of the best belly laughs relationship can provide.
His legacy lives in how his children and grandchildren strive to be better people every day.
And to make sure that others are given the same chance. I pray that I am not a disappointment to him.
Miss hearing you call me “doll”,
Laurie Beth
Calvary United Methodist Church ©