Celebrating fathers

Bananas, fishing gear, lightning bolts and pennies. These are just some of the things that remind our readers of their dads.

No two fathers are the same, and over the years, our readers learned to appreciate the different ways their dads showed their love.

FRANK SHIH, banana appeal

What will always remind me of my dear Daddy are . . . bananas, because for decades, he would eat three a day. My mom got very strange looks at the grocery store with her cart filled with bananas! He swore by the potassium in them.

For his 90th birthday we invited close to 70 of our huge extended family, and each person got their own banana with which to toast my dad. Quite a sight, with everyone raising a piece of yellow fruit instead of a champagne glass.

One day, he stopped eating bananas "cold turkey," with no explanation. But he must be doing something right: his 100th birthday is Aug. 24.

He has always been ahead of his time, joining an anti-smoking group in the '60s, when cigarettes were considered hip. Plus, he has always insisted on eating "only 80 percent of capacity." Turns out he isn't such a crackpot, after all!

My dad has always imparted great advice. In my youth, I tended to ignore it. It's only now we are realizing how wise he was -- and still is! -- Patricia Shih, Huntington

BEN MORSELLI, godlike to my students

Growing up, I never heard "I love you" from my father, yet I knew in my heart, I was loved. His actions showed me how much he loved me, and to this day, they still do.

When I was a little girl, my father would return home from work, place me upon his feet, and we would dance. During my Girl Scout years, he gladly attended the father-daughter square dances with me. At my wedding, we danced the Lindy, a dance my parents usually danced together. He would always be there for me and make me things I needed. My father is a man of few words, so this was his way of telling me he loved me.

One day in December 2001, I finally heard my father say, "I love you" at a family gathering. I was happy and surprised. Since then, he hasn't stopped saying it. I love hearing it.

I teach at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Bethpage. Recently, while my sixth-graders were studying the Greek gods, they participated in a Zeus Retires Debate. My father came to play Zeus, king of the gods. My students assumed the roles of a Greek god, goddess, Titan or hero and were vying for Zeus' position when he retired. All five periods of Social Studies competed. Each class had a winner who received a Golden Lightning Bolt, constructed and painted by my father. He is 73 and retired. For him to come to my school dressed in a toga, stay all day and speak in front of 125 kids, shows me how much he loves me. Actions speak louder than words. -- Monica Klein, Deer Park

RICHARD VAN DUZER, the measure of a fisherman

My dad passed away in December from metastasized cancer at 82. He was an avid fisherman, clammer, scalloper, crabber. My family and others benefited from his hobby; he was generous with his catch. Every time I see fishing gear, hats, polls, hooks and an aluminum boat (which we knew as a creek boat), I am reminded of my father.

Some kids get measured by yardsticks and marks on the kitchen wall. I was measured by the size of the fish he caught. There's a picture in first grade being compared to the size of a striped bass he had just caught. The fish was 32 pounds, and it was caught off Hortons Point, in Southold, November 1971. -- Kathy Van Duzer, Southold

ELI MONTANEZ, endless love

My dad passed away Jan. 2. He was everything. He was bigger than life, strong, demanding and controlling, He was smart, and he could fix anything. His voice commanded attention -- always clear and grammatically correct.

Dad talked incessantly. He was curious, he would look up information and then insist on reading it to you. He could be funny, and he liked to sing. Dad had a song about almost every topic, but mostly about love. Dad could be tough, but I never doubted how much he loved me. He was always there when I needed him.

For all the things he had confessed to have failed as a father, he got it all right as a grandfather and perfected those abilities as a great-grandfather. Dad played with his grandkids. He talked and sang to them, advised them and showed patience. He adored them.

At the end of his life, when the illness took away his desire to speak, to sing, to smile -- he never stopped loving us. At the end of any visit, we would say, "I love you, Dad," and he would respond, "I adore you."

Well, I adore you right back Papi, and I will miss you forever and a day. -- Delis Montanez Remien, Medford

HENRY G. BOYER, a man of respect

The word RESPECT reminds me of my father. Respect for your family and respect for the beautiful country that we live in. My dad is a Korean War vet and he always instilled in us love of country. God Bless my father and God Bless the U.S.A. -- Carolann Lorenz, West Islip

JAMES BECKERMAN, a great example

Every time I see a penny on the floor, I think of my dad. He was the most honest man in the world. He would tell me and my two older sisters, "If you even find a penny, find out who lost it and give it back." It was a wonderful gift. He was the most ethical man I ever knew. I am 73 and it has stayed with me all of my life and made me a better person. My father had no formal education, but he was a powerful example to everybody. -- Marsha N. Breiter, Hauppauge

JULIAN SENATORE, the sound of music

What reminds me of my father? Big-band music! If a movie or TV show has a soundtrack of Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw, I think, "My dad would love this!" A new CD set of Glenn Miller? That would be the best Father's Day gift. Many years ago, he would play his 78s on the hi-fi and, by osmosis, give a big-band music lesson to my sister and me. Listening to his favorite jazz singers, Ella, Sarah and Dinah, started an appreciation we couldn't have gotten from pop radio. It's 15 years since he is gone, but many lessons stay rock solid. As a child of the Great Depression, he wouldn't think of throwing away money on something unnecessary. I can imagine him observing people and their many "toys," shaking his head and saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted!" -- Marian Senatore, Lindenhurst

PHILIP PUCCIO, 'To the moon!'

Whenever I watch an episode of "The Honeymooners," I'm immediately reminded of my dear father, who had a wonderful sense of humor and great laugh. The harder he laughed, the more I would laugh. I'm sure he's watching those reruns in heaven. To the moon, Dad! -- Mary Ann Puccio, Garden City