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The Man I Thought I Knew
by Larry Zuiker
As I reflect on my 57 years spent with my Dad, I am daily reminded that I did not know him as well as I thought I did. I thought I knew him as a good father, an energetic worker, a responsible husband and a good provider. What I did not know, until now, was how creative and multitalented he was. Perhaps I was caught up too much in my own life, but now I have a chance to look at what others are saying about him. Boy, did I underestimate my father!
I am amazed at what Francis Zuiker achieved in his 90 1/2 years on this earth. He not only wrote for local papers, but he was a nationally published author in major magazines such as Outdoorsman, Hunting Dog, Sports Afield, Outdoor Life and Motor News. If he had an agent, his photos could have taken national awards for their creativity, uniqueness and originality. His photos rank up there next to photos seen in Life magazine. How did this man, with almost no formal education, raise and feed nine children? I know how. He worked, and worked and worked. I think back on days when he would come home from the Pullman Shop, strip off his clothes and then head out to the ball parks to work another three hours just to "bring home the bacon." I never heard him complain once about his having to work so many hours just to put a roof over our heads and to provide for his family. He had almost no leisure time for himself. Yet, he never spoke an unkind word to his wife or children about his plight.
A lesser man would have blamed everyone else for his situation. Francis was not a lesser man. My dad was the original Energizer Bunny. As I think back on my early years with him, I travel to the basement where many things were taking place. He would make lamps from wood, wire and tubing. These lamps stood proudly in our living room and bedrooms where they provided light for many years. I also remember my dad developing his photos in the "dark room." Magic would occur in this room taking a moment in time and capturing it for eternity. I am so impressed that a man who barely had a moment to himself could find time to capture a bit of history which would become his legacy. I now look upon these photos with awe. They reflect a special time in my life which would have long been forgotten had it not been for my dad knowing that these were moments which would never come again.
My dad was a man for all times. He was a provider, a man who did not rely on others to do a job he could do for himself, a person who was comfortable in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up, a family man who took his children to far away places which held secret canyons and scintillating rivers, a husband who never had an unkind word for his wife and showed her respect and love. My dad lived life at warp speed. He never wasted a precious moment. That is his legacy. I will use it as my road map for the rest of my life.