Birth date: May 3, 1935 Death date: Oct 30, 2023
Richard E. Podojil, age 88, a devoted husband, loving father, and cherished grandfather, peacefully passed away on October 30, 2023, at Ames Family Hospice. He was born in Cleveland on May 3, 1935, to the late Edward and Marie (ne Read Obituary
When we were getting ready to walk down the aisle at my wedding, I mentioned that I hoped I wouldn't start to cry...Dad said, "Oh I'll fix that"; and proceeded to tell me the story of how he remembered taking me and some of my friends to the mall in fifth grade whereupon our arrival we requested that he park far away so we wouldn't be seen with a 'parental type figure'.
After reading one of my first Dean Koontz books, I mentioned to my Dad that it really scared the crap out of me; his response to this was, "Oh, that's just your classic blob of protoplasm coming to life story; no big deal there..." Really? That's what I thought-changed the way I felt about any and every scary book I have read since.
I remember going out to dinner with my Dad on my sixth birthday at the Top of the Town. We had a table in a corner, and he advised me not to turn around and look down. Well, I did-my first bad experience with heights. I remember I had spaghetti with meatballs.
I remember watching a movie about skeletons coming up out of the ground with swords and shields with my Dad when I was about six. I remember him coming to my rescue in the middle of the night when I thought I saw a skeleton in my room.
I remember Dad teaching me how to bowl..."The key is to always follow through..." Yes it works every time.
I remember how Dad found the fuzz on peach skin to be really disgusting.
I remember Dad eating Corn Flakes in his green bathrobe, telling my cat Smokey not to touch his leg with her nose because it was cold...then punting her across the kitchen floor because she didn't listen. This was usually repeated numerous times...
I remember my Dad's dislike of wool sweaters: he always said they made him itch.
I remember Dad cutting the grass with the old fashioned rotary lawn mower. I remember raking the yard on Kilson Ave. and bagging the grass clippings.
I remember going to the McDonald's drive-thru with my Dad before there were actual sit-down restaurants.
