TIME WELL SPENT
A father is supposed to provide for his family, giving his children food, shelter and clothing.
But just as important as those things are, it's also important that a father is equally generous with himself.
At least that's the opinion of Jenna Geibel, 24, of Summit Township, who thinks her dad, Thomas L. Geibel, is the best dad around on this Father's Day.
“Growing up, he was always there for us,” she said, referring to her and her two sisters. “He would spend time with us and take us on vacations. Whenever we had problems, he would help us fix them.”
He's such a positive influence on her life, Jenna Geibel said that's why she is living at home.
“He's easy-going,” she said. “It's nice living at home with him and spending time with him.”
Unexpected benefit
Perhaps Thomas Geibel had more time to spend with his children was because he ran his own business, Geibel Auto Body, when they were growing up. That job provided another unexpected benefit to the Geibel sisters growing up.
He was always able to diagnose and fix their vehicles' problems.
“Whenever we had problems with our car, he would help us fix them,” she said.
She doesn't know what the family's plans are for Father's Day, “but we will be hanging out with my dad. We will do something fun.”
Bobbi Rock of Butler wishes she could hang out with her father, John “Jack” Cyphert, but he passed away two years ago.
Fond memories
Still, Rock has fond memories of the man who made her and her siblings “the crazies we are today.”
Rock said Cyphert became her stepfather when she was three, but “he truly was my dad,” she said. “There was never one time when it crossed his mind not to claim to be my father.”
She said what she will remember most about her father was his humor and antics.“He taught us to laugh and make the most out of any experience,” Rock said.One of those experiences was the time Cyphert and Rock were both undergoing cancer treatments at the same center and under the care of the same doctor.“We had to turn it into humor,” she said of her father's spreading malignant melanoma and her bout with breast cancer. “We said we were the family that shares together.”Promise of lunchThe only way to get Cyphert to attend his treatment sessions was to bribe him with the promise of lunch with Rock, her sister Kelly Burdesky and their brother, Christopher Cyphert.Even after he and Rock's mother, Rita, divorced, Cyphert was there for every holiday and family milestone.Rock said, “My dad was just so special. He always said to me, 'You amaze me with your dedication to try new things. People talk about doing things but YOU just go out and complete them!'”Rock said her father supported her goal of armed security work when it was a male-dominated profession, and supported her band and never missed a show in five years.“He was our biggest groupie, stating those were some of his best memories,” she said.“In his final week at the VA, his only sadness was him telling us that he had no fear of dying, but just fear of leaving us kids,” Rock said.“I am super blessed with the time we did have with him and thrilled he is pain-free, knowing we will all be together again.”
