Welcome to our Atwood Family pages, where the members of this wonderful tribe will share their memories of Al with all the rest of us. Click here to see other family member memories.
I entered the Atwood family in July of 1968. I married his only son Don. Your friend and colleague Dave Platter was there to take a few candid photos. Don and I blessed Albert and Virginia with their first grandson Mark in 1969. From that time forward I began to call you grandpa. You were a large part of mine and Don's life. And for that I will be forever grateful. In three short years we blessed you with your first granddaughter Nicole. I have never forgotten the special letter you typed honoring that day. It remains in Nicole's baby book to this day and holds a special place in my heart. Don and I gave you two more of you grandchildren: Bradley Albert who is honored to carry your name and last, but not least, Cassandra, all of whom are proud to have had you as their grandfather.
Memories, I have so many: I will always remember your dry sense of humor, your joy of taking photos, how you used to develop your own black and white photos, the great candid shot of Bradley pouting. Grandma says that picture will never come down and it remains on the family room wall.
Most of all, I remember your generosity to your entire family, our trip to Washington D.C. and Tennessee, the time when Don and I moved to Huntington Beach you would come by and pick-up one of the kids and take them for the weekend. Once when Mark and I were sick in bed you came out to bring us a bag of groceries. These are just a few of the many memories. I would like to close with this poem.
We think of you as watching from
A time and space beyond the sky,
A place where someday we will come,
Of some sweet moments we share.
We think of you as watching from
A place where someday we will come,
This place, and know you're gone,
With grief, we let you go.
In the place where someday we will come.
Together once again.
A happiness we cannot deny,
More real that real, more want than why,
A place where we someday will come.
No heart can sum
The measurements that yield goodbye.
And so we keep watching from
A place where we someday will come.
Love,
Julie Atwood
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Just wanted you all to know that my dad’s interment was Friday 7/15/05. His ashes were laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village. There will be a name plate on cenotaph 7, row 6, around the rose garden in about three months. I had no idea that my dad was going to be with such famous people such as Carroll O’Conner, Marilyn Monroe, Rodney Dangerfield, Dean Martin, Jack Lemmon and many many others. Evidently this is one of the cemeteries to the stars.
Thank you and everyone at SCCA for such a nice remembrance reception for my dad. My dad never liked anyone to fuss over him but I am so glad that you all did that in his honor. I hope you all continue to stay in touch with my mom. She has good days and bad days but overall I think she is doing okay. I can’t imagine saying goodbye to someone you have shared 61+ years with.
Thanks again for everything.
Janice (Atwood) Dunn
For more memories of Al, from members of the Atwood clan, click here.