Ralph Philip “Pappy” Smith, 1922-89
Dad dead 32 years.
Wish I’d known him better, but I left home at 17, ignorant.
We loved each other. But while I respected him, he found me weird. When I mentioned I’d made the Dean’s List at Loyola College, he said he couldn’t respect me because of my shoulder-length hair. He later upgraded me when I started getting newspaper and magazine articles on my art and poetry.
He was a brick-block-stone mason, and I made good money summers as his hodcarrier from 14-17.
Pappy was a good man. Honest. And funny. Folk liked and trusted him, were talking of running him for local office.
Lady thinks I get my sense of humor from him. Some of these fotos suggest that may be true.
1st foto below is his contribution to my 1975 art journal.
