My Dad Died

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My Dad died on May 17th at 2:17 p.m.

He was 78 years old.

I didn't learn about AS until about eleven years ago. It was looking at Dad and through his eyes that even alterted me to AS in the first place. Everyone knew my Dad was always an odd person. Wise and well spoken my dad was a charmer. But it's his actions in life that made me realize at an early age something wasn't 100% right with him. He was always a very peculiar person. Watching him made me take a closer look into my own self. He helped me find out about Asperger's Syndrome just by being my Dad. Because I am so much like him I came to realize that if there was something amiss about my father, I could share those same traits.

What brings me to the haven today is the fact that I am very sad that he never got tested for AS in his lifetime. Simply put: I couldn't think of any way whatsoever to admit to him that he was autistic. And that he should be tested. He was always afraid of doctors in life. And in his eyes, psychologists were just as useless as MDs or physicians. "Why get tested, Mark? There's something wrong with every damn one of us." he'd say.

No one on his side of the family even knows about AS. And at this point, the Audette side of his family are just about all dead. Of those that were close to him, only his adopted mother and half sister are still alive. There's just about no one left to break the news to. My Dad died without even knowing he was an Aspie. Which is fine and good because he didn't really need to know. But I did. I still plan on staying oin this Earth to have children and pass on what little legacy I can squeeze in this lifetime.

I miss you Dad.

Today (as I write this) is Sunday. It was our day in your routine that was set aside for our little phone conversations. Conversations about John McCain being the next President of the United States. The stories about the HUGE Flounder dish at Captain D's. Another chance to squeeze in that old joke about the accountant who jumps off the side of a building.

Yeah, I miss you Dad. An Aspie the world will never get to know.

From left to right is my brothers David (responding to a snarky comment off camera), Matt (and his son - who I suspect of being an Aspie), Charles M. Audette (My always funny and chipper father) and Randy (easy going and cool).



[NOT pictured: Me!]

I love you Dad. You are missed by legions of fans and family that will always love you.

Last edited by markaudette on 25 May 2008, 6:25 pm, edited 3 times in total.

*hugs*
I don't know what to say, other then I'm sorry for your lost, and your father sounds like a nice and awesomely ecentric (sp?) guy, even though I don't agree with the whole doctor thing. (If my father died, I would just hope his last thoughts were of the misery he inflicted on me...)

I nearly lost my dad recently too.

I hope that you can take the love and the life he has left you and move on to be stronger.

Thank you.

He gave me a lot to live up to. He was a very charismatic man who had MANY friends.

I was at the grocery store with my brothers one day before the funeral. I stopped them to ask them if they realized that with our mother having died 5 years earlier - that we were all now basically middle-aged orphans.

Thankyou for sharing a bit of your dad with us.

Sorry to hear about both your father and mother passing away so soon.

It's encouraging to hear that you seemed to have some good times with him.

I was thinking about my mother and how I wouldn't be speaking to her on the phone any more.

I do hope you all continue to speak of them and share the good memories together.

I think that's something I have always done for my grandma, sister, step-father and mothers (I adopted another mom myself when I was a teen), whom I've lost.

Thank you for sharing your story.
Hope you and your brothers are doing well.

That was an endearing portrait you painted of your father through your writing, markaudette, thanks for sharing.

I'm sorry .

My dad is an aspie too, I'm convinced. Once I learned about AS I was able to re-evaluate my whole history with him, and it gave me a lot of peace.

I'm sorry to hear about your father.

my mother and father were married for 65 years and after mom died, dad followed within the next 3 months. They were devoted to each other.
I feel your pain
Merle

My condolences for your father passing away.

My condolences to you and your family during this time. I'm very sorry to hear about your dad's passing.

Thank you all for the kind words. My condolences to all of you who have lost someone close to you.


Here's my Dad in 1948:





And here's the dapper fellow most likely around 1955 or so:

You must have loved him very much.

You also seem to miss him very much.

That's quite a tribute to him in my book!

Thanks for the photos... he does have a good smile!

But we did get to know him a little bit, thanks to your story. It's really nice to see a son who loves his father. I'm so sorry that you've lost your dad.

An Aspie that some of the world now knows, through his son. Your heartfelt post is touching. I wish peace to you and your family.