Last week I traveled to my hometown for a memorial dedication ceremony.
My father worked for a Rural Electrical Coop for 27 years. He began his career there as an appliance technician but due to his hard work and dedication he became an irreplaceable part of the organization. From managing systems that monitored the power grid to overseeing the installation of two wind turbines, his passion for work is being honored. The organization chose to renamed that second wind turbine he oversaw the Randy D. Rigg Memorial Wind Turbine.
This tower of steel and technology is located at the edge of town, it overlooks a community he loved. It has become a part of the landscape. His legacy and dedication will live on not just from the work he did but the lives he touched.
Seven years ago he was seriously hurt in a motor vehicle accident, it changed parts of him. Not just the things that could be seen as he lived in pain for much of those seven years but in how he saw others. He had an acute way of sensing when someone else was suffering, be it physically or emotionally. In the time after his passing countless stories were shared about kind words or concerns expressed by him to others. Some of those coming at a moment when they had thought the pain would swallow them. He wanted others to know that someone understood and was there listening.
You know how special a family member is but to see in others how much they meant is touching. It has been hard to talk about my father, but what his work family has done for all of us has given me some words. They needed this, a way to honor him and to show how much he affected their lives. One finally Thank You.
He is missed by many. As I write this I am fighting back tears. I miss you Paw.
