My father, David, was brilliant and I don't mean that metaphorically. He finished grade school in 5 years, and university with degrees psych, math, literature, folklore, and theatre. He had a Master of Systems Analysis and a Master level certification in economics - and a Ph.D. in International Relations - he wrote the book on negotiation in the Middle East. Plus a Doctorate of Divinity that I got him for Xmas one year from an online university so he could officially refer to himself as a PhuDdy DuDy. He hung those certificates next to each other in matching frames.

He was a US representative that assisted with the formation of Bangladesh, and helped evacuate two thousand plus US citizens (including us) from Iran in 1979. He helped foreign Universities get US accreditation, and individual students discover that they are academics worthy of the highest institutions of learning.

He's also a ridiculous punster, a singer whose favorite key was "loud", an actor who we killed off 5 years running while I ran an educational theatre here in the Bay Area. He had a laugh like a braying donkey that he would let loose at the lightest provocation and people who thought they never knew him can recall a night they shared a theatre audience with him.

He was a real life action hero, and the only thing he ever failed at completely was retirement. He loved my Mom passionately. He was heard to say "I wandered from country to country with three daughters who were, each in their own special way, wonderful human beings. And I couldn't have done a bit of that without Elizabeth. Elizabeth has always been supportive of my needs and more than anything else she's been supportive of raising our three daughters: Margaret, Deirdre, and Jennifer, who turned out to be very similar to their mother; strong and prepared to object to anything that doesn't conform to their worldview, their morality". He was so happy that his kids not only got along but actively liked each other.

He will be missed.