How do you plan a funeral, plan for a houseful of company, and be in the middle of a torn up backyard all at once? Super Hero Powers Kick In.

Tommy is digging trenches and laying sod and coming in the house every so often to cool down and tell me I'm doing a great job and thank you honey. The landscaper we hired to lay the sod called in sick. Bobby & Shawn helped a lot. At one point Tom looked up at the sky and said "Your timing was good Dad if you had to die. Thanks for sending my brothers to help me". I went through pictures, made a video, called Carolyn for help in writing the obituary because she did ask if I needed help with anything I was totally stressed about it. Tried to decide what to do for the service. Asked all the boys and they didn't want to talk. And finally Bobby said he would and read me what he had wrote down and it was great: It is Impossible to put a mans life on a piece of paper but I will try. This is a man some called Big Mac, some called Big Papa and some called Big Tom. Father is a title earned by his actions. Today we say goodbye to a man, a father who raised four onery boys. But he taught us to be strong and treat people with the same respect and honesty he had. Our Dad had a lot of wonderful grandchildren & great grand children and I'm sure they heard lots of stories about his life and the way his boys were raised! Dad loved painting, his chickens, sitting on his front porch on the mountain, Friday night fights, boxing, and yes...my leg still hurts ~he had a punch! Dad loved the women in his life. He loved you all through a surprise squeeze that you were not expecting. Dad was a boss to all of us boys at one time or another. He was a great boss and taught us a lot. Jamey, Steven and Trevor, this is why I'm always early and never miss work! You know the story! I'm going to miss the phone calls after the Broncos win or lose. I would also love to give thanks to Peggy for being by Dad's side for the latter part of his life. Giving him the love he wanted and the friendship he needed. Your six years with him couldn't have been easy. But the Love you've shown was very visible to all of us boys. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Dad had a good Life. I believe he got to do most everything he wanted. I'll miss him and his stories. Dad...hope you find peace on your journey. Mom, Dewayne and Rosie are waiting. Alex agreed to play his guitar and sing In Color and Chels said she would sing and talk. So we have a program and This is how Chels opened the service: Thank you for coming to Grandpa's celebration of Life. We're going to have a short service, the burial in Tooele and a military send off. Then everyone is invited to the Stansbury Clubhouse to tell Papa Tom stories. My Grandpa had one brother, five sons, six grandsons and ME. Now he has lots of girls in the step and blended and extended families and he loved you all and I know you all loved him. When I was little I always sang and Coat of many Colors was his favorite song he always requested. So Grandpa, here's your song, one last time..... Then Dakota talked and Trevor and Dave Bennett and Mike Stock and Bob Nielsen. And on the spur of the moment I went up. Shelby & Kinzi were sitting by me and immediately jumped up and held my hand and went up with me. I just said "When I met Big Tom I was around 16 and I thought he was the best looking OLD MAN I had ever seen. I calculated it this week and he was in his early forties. Almost the age of the older grandsons. Thank You for raising such good boys who turned into amazing husbands. I will miss him." If I really knew I was going to talk I'm sure I could've come up with something better but it was total spur of the moment. The military honors were so great. A 21 gun salute. And all the grandkids as pallbearers. It was a perfect sunny day. The kids had the time of their lives playing in the water after at the clubhouse. A perfect celebration of a Life Well Lived.