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Our Dear Father Irwin
This website is created in loving memory of our dear Father Irwin Eiler. He was born on 6/13/40 son to parents Sam & Lillie Eiler. Brother to Phyllis his sister who was born 12 years earlier during the depression. This is his story.
Our dad was a ham as a kid. He went to the country every summer with his parents and played alot. I recall when his mom, our Grandma Lillie would tell us stories of dad in an outhouse and a chicken was there with him and he had to use the bathroom, so he took the chicken and he took it outside after yelling at it.
Dad had his Bar Mitvah at age 13 and was officially a man so says it in the Jewish religion. He continued to go to school, and went to college for a while. He would meet the love of his life when he was 18. Dad was dating a woman named Roberta. He saw a young girl one night at a party, & thought to himself "I'm going to marry her". That girl would later on be our Mom Renee. She was only 13 at the time, and Roberta was her cousin.
At age 25, our Dad married our Mom Renee, 12/12/65. On a cold winter day the two exchanged vows & would be married for over 30 years. His mom and dad were there, his sister Phyllis, her husband Joe & their children were there as well. Ellen & David were dad's niece & nephew.
9/7/66, Mom gave birth to their first child Ronald. Our dad was a new dad. Proud and doting he was. on 10/7/69, dad would again be Blessed & happy with the arrival of a second son named Eric. He was overjoyed with happiness. 3/8/72, dad became a proud father again, to his suprise this time it was a girl named Melissa. Dad told us stories of how he thought he and mom would have 3 boys and was so happy that he was daddy to a girl. He had me at hello. :) I was an instant daddy's girl.
In 1976, sadly dad lost his father. He was very hurt and so was our mom. Mom was very close to him & she took the news worse than dad. Dad and his sister were never too close but they shared a similiar love/caring relationship for their mom. Our grandma Lillie.
Through the years Dad worked for the post office in Manhattan, and stayed there for 30 years. He loved to watch wrestling on tv and took us all to the matches at Madison Square Garden. He and our mom were music lovers. They loved the oldies from the 50's and always had Cousin Brucie on the radio.
In the 80's dad was there for us when our mom fell ill and was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He was devastated and stood by all of us being both mother and father to 3 children while our mother was in the hospital for 4 months.
After the passing of our mother's mom, dad and mom, & my brothers moved to PA. Our mother felt it to be time to start fresh somewhere new. So they did, in 1994 they moved. In 1995, dad went with mom and my brothers and got a puppy named Baby. She was a Bassett Hound that they adored the second they saw her. Dad grew to love her instantly.
August of 1996, dad called me up and told me that grandma Lillie passed away. We had seen her a day before as she was in an assisted living for the elderly place. She had problems breathing and was brought to the hospital where dad's sister worked. I went with dad that night, and will forever remember her. She was sitting up in the bed, had the oxygen in her nose and was lucid, wide awake and she said to me "Lissy, does my hair look ok?" we laughed so hard, she went on to say that there were very cute doctors there and she told me ya never know and she wanted to look good. I recall dad and I laughing. We left the hospital that night when we saw Joe, and David. That was my dad's brother in law and nephew. Little did we even fathom the idea grandma would leave us.
Uncle Joe, dad's sister's husband passed away from cancer in 1997. Another sad loss for our family. Dad was there for his sister and her family.
On 10/12/99, dad would hear the worst news he could have ever imagine pass through his ears as he was told his wife of over 30 years died. I told him the news and will never ever forget his reaction. Dad was in complete shock and screamed "Are you kidding me?" Once again our family was stricken with another loss.
Dad spent the next few years working in PA here and there to take his mind off of losing mom. He slept with their wedding picture in the bed for months in the beginning. He had retired from the post office before mom passed and working part time was a good thing for him. Depression set in, and dad would be withdrawn, forgetful and at times even angry.
However on 8/20/02, dad became a grandpa. He was in the delivery room with me when I gave birth to my daughter Rena, named after our mom Renee. He was the proudest grandpa ever. He loved her the minute he saw her. He even noticed the 2 dimples she had when I held her.
For four years of Rena's life dad was amazing with her. He would call her everyday and we would visit him and my brothers. We always celebrated all holidays and really had a wonderful time together. We took many pictures, not even thinking let alone knowing just how special & meaninful they would be in such a short time to come.
On 9/1/06, I was on vacation with my family, in the car driving through Ocean City MD when I got a phone call on my cell phone. It was Eric my brother. I thought he was calling me to tell me to be careful driving as the weather was very bad. But what he had to tell me was worse. He told me that Ron our other brother just called him on his cell phone as Walmart called Ron at home to tell him that our dad had problems breathing. Eric at that point was on his way to a job interview and immediately drove to the Walmart location as soon as possible. Eric would call me on his way there, then when got there, and what he saw. Everytime my cell phone rang, I felt my chest pound and breathing difficult as well. I did not have a good feeling about this and was very scared. Eric called me and told me at this point he was there with dad. Basically whatever he was seeing and going through, I had on speakerphone and I was there as well. He told me Lissy this is not good, dad was unconscious and no one had called 911. He was in his jeep in the loading section of the parking lot. A security guard told dad to move the car but dad had told him that he had trouble breathing. According to this security guard he asked our dad if he wanted him to call anyone. Dad told him to call my son. Dad layed there unconscious and I told Eric he can hear you, I pleaded with him to tell him you are here with him and that he needs to wake up. He said "Dad, it is me Eric, please open your eyes, Dad it is me Eric......" No response. Eric said his coloring was ok and his skin was warm. Eric took off his watch which was the metal elastic band type. So when Eric took it off, you know it hurt as he took it off quickly yet not a move on dad's part. The ambulance(s) came. I could hear the sirens and noise. Eric would go in one to follow and dad was taken in immediately. I told Eric to call me as soon as he gets to the hospital and I would be driving as fast as I could to PA.
Over 30 minutes had passed and I did not receive a call. I felt in my heart that dad would not be okay. My cell phone rang and it was Eric. I could not even say hello, he told me in a whisper "I'm so sorry Lissy, I'm so so sorry, he did not make it"...........................I had pulled over before I got the phone as Rena's dad was in the car with me, and he handed me the phone, he told me to pull over. I screamed and I screamed so hard maybe thinking he would hear me and come back to this world or something. But all my screams and tears did not change the hard reality that our father joined our mother now in Heaven. I was shocked, as I had spoken to him just a day before, and so did Rena. I had souveniors in my bag for him and my brothers and planned on seeing them that weekend. I did not plan on seeing him the way that I did.
On 9/3/06, dad was laid to rest next to our mother Renee. Side by side as they were in life. Dad looked so peaceful and at rest when I looked in his coffin. I vowed to forever take care of Rena and that is was okay now and he could go. Dad was memorialized by the Rabbi, and I stood with my family and dad's sister my aunt Phyllis and family members, as we stood in utter shock that we were even there.
To this day, his death is a mystery, to this day we don't know why as he was healthy. He was a big guy but there are alot of people that are big but do not just die like that suddenly. We all are still torn up about him and our mom passing, but find only one comfort that they are together again.
We love you daddy, and we miss you so very much. Rena misses talking to you on the phone., and singing with you too. You were a wonderful father, friend, grandpa and you will be forever loved and eternally missed. God Bless you Daddy. We love you forever!!!!!!!!
