Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's Out There

[Jason Edge]

Here's a shout out to all the Dad's out there, and all of you like me that were greatly influence by their dad's.  My dad Sam Edge had a huge influence on me in terms of my interest in automobiles.    Everything in his life revolved around  his two boys, and literally gave us everything he had to make our lives as good as they could be under the circumstances.

We grew up poor, and as a laid off and recently divorced truck driver for Burlington Industries raising two boys in the late 70's, my dad still managed to give us a great home and was always an inspiration to me.  In 1979 at age 15, we had an old Volkswagen Beetle and a 1968 Camaro and remember my dad taking me to the ball field and teaching me to learn to drive in the VW with the stick shift, and later that year still 15 and before I got my license, giving me the 68 Camaro.

There was a real funny (and at first scary) episode in the summer of 1979, again still 15 years old,  when my dad had went to see a girlfriend in Missouri only to return a couple days sooner than expected to find the Camaro Engine hanging from the tree!  My friend Tony and I jumped the fence and I did not come back until late that evening, and instead of really coming down on me, was eager to help get the new Crane Blazer Cam installed. From then on we had some great time's "hot rodding" that 68 Camaro. I still remember the day we singed his eyebrows off trying to get the new Holley carb setup just right! Tony and I rolled on the ground with laughter so hard I did think he was going to beat us at that point! LOL

Some of you have read "My Cadillac Story" in the Self Starter and our March Newsletter, and would add that the day I bought my 1964 Cadillac on Nov 13, 1996 I drove straight down to my dad's an hour away in Fayetteville, NC to show my latest car. Having grown up around Chevy and other muscle cars, we were both immediately drawn to this older luxury car! Growing up poor, also made us appreciate the Cadillac amenities that much more!   

Back in 1997, he came up to go get that first parts car, in Zebulon NC and remember we pulled it with a bar and chain!  As time would go on there would be several other driver 63's and 64's, and many more parts cars and he was always there with me every step of the way. I  remember with the parts cars he loved to have first check of the trunks and glove boxes to see what treasures he could find. The day he found the box of condoms and red teddy from the preacher's fathers 64 Cadillac was one of the funniest!  He said "they were spreading more than just the gospel!".

My dad sold his house in Fayetteville and moved in with me in 1999 about the same time we had the 3 bay garage with upstairs built.   We really had some great times working on my 64 Coupe DeVille and others, and bringing in the parts cars.  He was also a huge help with me around the house in our ongoing restoration of our 1912 house and with the landscaping.  He loved to stay busy and remained very  physically fit and active until he died.  

On Feb 9, 2005 he went in for simple catheterization but would end up brain dead on Feb 22, 2005, due to doctors lacerating the back of his heart wall with the catheter.  I greatly miss him and will forever be indebted to him for everything.

Here is a slideshow I put together a couple years ago that captures some of our times together:

   

[Jason Edge]

Here's a funny picture of my dad driving an early parts car around the yard.