Decades Of Fatherhood’s Joys Bestow Wisdom At Kingston

BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — On Sunday, June 18, many families across the country will celebrate dads and other father figures for Father’s Day. 

At Kingston Residence of Perrysburg, the staff has already begun highlighting the fathers in their establishment.

For residents Carl Saylor, Paul Feck and Richard Wallin, their children are a common sight among the halls of the building, showing the staff at Kingston how important their roles as fathers have been.

Over the years, the three learned from experience how to raise their children and what it takes to be a good parent, and they are now able to offer advice to their own children and grandchildren.

Saylor, the father of four daughters, is grateful for the years he’s spent with his daughters at cookouts, family gatherings and at their property at the lake.

“All four of my girls were homecoming queens in high school,” Saylor said. “I wouldn’t have traded them for anything in the world.”

Feck, the father of three girls and two boys, said nothing could have prepared him for what it was like to raise them, nor could the world have prepared for just how much he would learn from his children.

“They have been true blessings, and that’s about as good as it gets,” Feck said.

Wallin, the father of one girl and one boy, has watched his children grow into kind, lovable, helpful adults.

“Both of them are good kids. They’re grown now, so they’re no longer kids, which is hard to understand, but they’re my kids” Wallin said.

Becoming a dad for the first time, Feck said, was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

Saylor agreed. “First time I became a father, I was pretty thrilled. It was quite a thrill to find out I had a little girl,” he said. “It was probably the happiest day of my life. It’s been quite a ride.”

For Father’s Day, the three men know the day is about spending time with their children and creating memories with them.

“Father’s Day has always been happy. It’s just one of the many activities we’ve been able to enjoy together,” Feck said. “There’s no reward like having a caring family.”

Wallin remembers each Father’s Day as a time when he received the requisite shirts, jackets or ties from his children, but also as a day to spend with his children and even travel with them.

Saylor would spend many of his Father’s Days with his children in Florida, taking them down south every year once school let out for the summer.

“My kind of gift every year was a half-day fishing trip that they would arrange, which I looked forward to doing every year,” Saylor added.

Over the years, the fathers have tried to impart as much knowledge as they could to their kids, teaching them life lessons and helping them grow into successful adults with every day they spent together. 

Some of that advice, they know, would be beneficial for other people to hear, too.

“Don’t criticize. Show your care and love for others. Help wherever you can,” Wallin advised those younger than him.

Feck’s advice is to enjoy life and to understand what is important.

“If I had any advice to give to young pups coming along, it’s to take time to talk to the person sitting next to you,” Feck advised. “At least be nice to each other. It’s so easy to be critical these days with the modern communications you’ve got.”

He encourages parents to connect with their kids and do things they enjoy doing. As for adults trying to parent their children together, he said they should be aware that compromising is important.

“You have to want to show some responsibility and support each other and the people around you,” Wallin added.

Children also both want and need attention, Wallin said. The more attention and love a parent can provide for their children, the better their children can offer that same care for others.

Providing that extra attention to children is what Saylor wants new parents to remember, too.

“You have to stay close together as a family and remember to support each other,” Saylor added.

Most of the men’s favorite memories stem from the times they have spent with their children, they added.

Some of Wallin’s fondest memories are of the travels he and his family have been on, including trips abroad and locally.

“We spent some of our best times with our kids traveling with them. That would be a great experience, to travel with them again to a place of their liking,” Wallin added.

Saylor’s favorite time is spent at the lake, at a property his family has been visiting for many decades and where his children continue to visit and make memories, along with his grandchildren.

“I’m looking forward to getting up there again with them,” Saylor said. “Those are the things that keep you going.”

Feck, too, remembers times at the lake property with Saylor, his brother-in-law, and the rest of their families. Spending time together, bonding and learning more about each other has always been important.

That’s the biggest piece of advice these fathers of many decades can give to new parents: Spend time together and learn from each other. The only way someone can truly learn to be a parent is just by doing it, they noted.

“Making mistakes is the way we learn,” Wallin added.