Tribute to Dad
I have a very nice video tribute to my father that we showed at his funeral -- I will post it soon.
Eulogy of Walter William Pladies Jr. January 7, 2008
My name is Tony Pladies and I am blessed to be a son of Walter, I pray you will see a unique vantage point as we honor, value, and remember the life of my father. We are here because we want to express appreciation, we want to recount the importance of his life -- which everyone here in some way has been touched, whether it is recent or for many years, you are here to say "Thank you, God for the life of Walter”. We are also here today to share our grief together, acknowledging that in our hearts the life and death of Walter points us toward the Almighty God.
Walter William Pladies Jr., at the age of 67, went home to be with our Lord and Savior Thursday on Jan. 3, 2008. My father was born in Milwaukee on Aug. 18, 1940, to Walter Sr. and Anna Pladies who passed in 1994 and 1980 respectively. Walter Sr. was a German immigrant, a stone mason and a man with strong opinions. Anna, whose maiden name is Moser, was a well known New Berlin librarian and she often filled the house with wonderful piano music. The Pladies family moved to Mukwonago in 1952, at the time there were no freeways --this was a very rural area which my father loved for hunting. Dad’s passion for the outdoors is share with his brother Richard who with wife, Kathy, lives in Crivitz Wisconsin today.
Walter’s remaining family includes his wife of 38 years, our mother Charlotte, whose maiden name is Stocks; the three children and five grandchildren. Erika, my older sister, lives in Helenville with her heard of dogs and cats. Tim, my twin brother, is married to Ginger; they live of Mukwonago and are raising two strapping boys Evan and Connor. I am the youngest and live in New Berlin with my wife Kindra and our three beautiful little girls Kenedee, Maycee and Sophee. The grandchildren loved getting full of mud with my Dad on a ride through the woods on his four-wheeler; they always were asking to go for a zoom-zoom ride. From time to time Dad would introduce a little terror into their hearts with an exhilarating ride but he always brought the grandkids back safe -- just like when we were kids.
As young boy my heart would get up in my throat when Dad pulled us in a sled behind the snowmobile. He was always a spend thrift and liked to conserve heating fuel. During the cold months he kept the house cool, down in the very low 60s. To help heat the house we needed to go cut wood in the winter. He would hook a large sled to the snowmobile, get the chainsaw and we headed back into woods on the farm looking for down trees. On the way home I always thought the sled was about to tip over at any minute and I would get crushed by the wood. One time the sled did tip over, but I did not get hurt, well not too bad.
I think anyone whoever worked with my Dad knew he could get the job done while saving a buck and in the process he would push the edge of excitement. My father always was planning, doing or had just completed; a project or a trip – I think many here will remember my father because you crossed paths on either a project or a trip.
My father was one of the handiest men I have ever met. He knew how to do just about everything and if he didn’t know how to get something done himself, he knew somebody that did and if he couldn’t find somebody, he made it up and it worked anyway. His handiness came from growing up on the farm stead, where as young boy Dad raised his own pigs for 4H. Later he and my mom moved on to the family property when they were married. We always had a flock of geese, a roost of chickens, a heard of sheep, a goat, a cow, a pony, some Ginny hens, a couple peacocks, a few rabbits, a kennel of dogs and huge garden -- Pa made sure we had plenty chores and projects to be working on. Next to our land were lots of great farms, families and neighbors that Dad and our family cherished: the Craigs, the Porters, the Potters, and across the river the Danielsons to name just a few.
Dad gave us an old fashioned and uncommon life style that most children would never image. He purposely instilled a strong work ethic and self motivation in each of us. From my earliest memories, Dad was always doing projects with us. He built a large model airplane with me using his extensive knowledge of airplanes – Dad was an avid aviator which rubbed off on me. With my brother, Dad built a monster mudding truck, I guess it was just sort of thing he would do to provide us excitement on the farm.
Dad was a member of the Steamfitters Local 601, a real master metal worker - he could weld anything. As well Dad was a longtime mechanical contractor. For show and tell most kids bring toys for class to ogle over, I brought in my father because I knew the projects of his life would awe the class. For example, he took us kids on a US Coast Guard Ice Cutter ship, one that he had rebuilt the engine for. Many of Dad’s projects were huge, especially to us kids; he would proudly display pictures of helicopter cranes used to deploy large air-handling units on top of tall buildings. His work influenced entire industries for example installing printing presses were a niche for my Dad: Quad Graphics, Mobius, Krieger and many more. Some of Dad’s work was on display; one example is the 1996 Olympic Torch, which was hauled around the United States on a special railroad car my Dad outfitted.
Many of you in this room have enjoyed pork from the portable pig roaster my Dad, Dean, and Bob built out of an old oil drum. Dad’s favorite projects involved food; he loved anything related to canning, cooking and consuming food. He could make a wonderful meal out of whatever was laying around. One of the reasons you enjoy Ripen Good Cookies is because of Dad’s handy work – though he did tell me of a massive spill – an industrial accident which filled a room knee deep with solidifying chocolate – this is apparently is difficult to clean up.
Today my Dad is experiencing a holy project and feasting with the Lord God Almighty, listen to the book of Revelation:
"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”" (Revelation 7:15-17, NKJV)
Dad has an eternal project – serving God. Dad will never hunger nor thirst because God has provided a living fountain of water that will right every wrong and comfort any concern.
If you didn’t know my Dad from a project, you might have crossed paths with him on a trip. My mother, Charlotte, found out early-on about Dad’s trips. Their first date was blind - in 1968 Dad took Mom out for a steak dinner and on their second date it was a trip in the airplane. One year later they were married, the honeymoon was simple - camping all over the western United States. Gas was thirty-seven cents a gallon; they covered 5,994 miles in 6 weeks via Oldsmobile. On July 20th of this trip they were in Las Vegas as the first man walked on the moon.
Dad took the whole family on trips, mainly while training the hunting dogs. By the time I was 14 we had driven from the little town of Mukwonago to just about everywhere a person could image: Key West, Florida; Vancouver, British Columbia; Salem, Maine; East Juliet, Georgia; Thunder Bay, Ontario; Lookout Mountain, Tennessee; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. When I was about seven years old Dad single handedly drove us three kids into New York City with five of our friends to see Empire State Building, Ellis Island and to explore the subway system.
Dad was an extreme hunter; he stalked wild boar in Stuttgart, Arkansas, took a stand for Elk in Meeker, Colorado and even bagged a Caribou on the artic circle of Ungava Bay where Inuit Eskimos live. Dad’s love for hunting and the outdoors has been passed on to many people. He was a hunter safety instructor for more than 40 years and a member of the Southeastern Rod and Gun Club for decades.
For vacation Dad and Mom went with Aunts and Uncles south to dance the Congo Lines in Mexico: Xtipia, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, and Yatuka (pronounced Wa-tuka).
Some of Dad’s trips were far reaching or exotic, but the most memorable trips were ordinarily near by. Dad perfected a technique I call the “drop in”. It would start with an excuse to leave the house like a trip to the hardware store or the filling station -- so he would say. Then most of the time, unannounced Dad simply would stop by someone’s home for a few minutes inviting us in to have a cup of coffee. Of course minutes turned into hours as this became the occasion for he and a friend plotted out another project or trip or for Dad to just connect with someone he had not seen in a while.
I will give you an example of this. Dad was a member of the Big Bend-Vernon Lion’s Club and one of his charitable tasks was transporting human eyes from one medical facility to another – a noble task by itself. During one of these medical transport trips Dad dropped in along the way by Erika, my sister, for a cup of coffee. In his mind while the trip was important and even time sensitive, dropping by to visit my sister made the experience much more valuable.
Most of Dad’s trips worked out quite well, but he occasionally had a close call. In one case Dad was flying Mom back from Land O’ Lakes in a little airplane that was ill equipped to handle poor weather. Unable to properly navigate they followed the freeway back, flying lower and lower as the weather deteriorated around the small airplane. As they reached an altitude just above the road, he slowed the plane down. Thankfully a car came by; Dad rocked the wings of plane signaling they were in needed help. The car turned off the freeway and directed them to a small airport where they landed safely.
My Dad’s spiritual life was like that old airplane. When I was young Dad would tell me that people who had religion were weak and needed a crutch. Dad’s views would change as his health deteriorated, just like the weather closing in around that small airplane. Over the past two years Dad started coming to church and he had many questions about the Bible for me. In April I found Dad talking about heaven with my co-minister Pastor Paul Nuth, this September Dad prayed for salvation with young man at this church, in October Dad raised his hand at message of salvation in New Hope Community Church, and from November though the time of my Dad’s passing I spent many evenings teaching him about eternity.
It is God who had been working to get my Dad’s attention. Just like that car on the freeway guiding the small airplane in for a landing, it was God who brought Dad to a need for salvation. Christ tells us:
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15, NKJV)
Dad not go seeking God, it was the Holy Spirit who pulled on Dad’s heart strings in time for him to accept Jesus Christ as Savior before being called home.
My Sister, my Brother, me and especially my Mother welcome you to our homes, try Dad’s drop in technique from time to time. We would enjoy hearing your fond memories of my Dad.
On behalf of the family, and all of us here that were close to Walter we thank you for paying your respects. You have expressed care, concern and compassion to us.
In turn I want to offer encouragement, because you to are mourning. You have our deepest sympathy, and we are very sorry for your loss. In the book of Nehemiah, the prophet Ezera proclaimed the Law of God and the people became sorrowful as they reflected on God’s holiness. The death of a loved one, like the holiness of God is an eternal reality that demands we look beyond ourselves and focuses to the Almighty God.
We hope the prayer cards provided will remind you -- Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Brothers and Sisters in Christ and friends of the family, we are praying that God's peace, His mercy and His love will richly bless you, thank you so much for sharing this time with us.
God Bless.
Tony Pladies