Submitted by Sophia Marshall

East Elmhurst , NY, US

My dad is my rock!!! RIP Lee Gustus Marshall Jr. *10/23/06** I say “is” because he lives forever! He lives in me!! When you see me, you see him. My dad is the air that I breathe!! I understand that GOD needed another soldier, and my dad was willing to be that! My dad was one in a million. Since I was able to understand life, my dad was ALWAYS there. He was a mother and a father to me. He taught me great morals and the true meaning of a father. From day one, at birth my mom said he took charge. My mom didn’t have to buy or do anything much for me. I was born May 8, 1970, on this day my dad’s said his life changed in so many ways. He gave up an opportunity to play pro baseball for me, he felt like being a daddy to me was more important. I love my dad for that, cause it’s so many daddy’s out here that don’t care. My dad was 17 and my mom was 14, when they gave birth. They got married, he did do the right thing. You would think a young man at that age wouldn’t know what to do, just having a baby, and still being a child. Not “my daddy” it was like GOD made him just for me. THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVEN ME A ROCK!! He was the one that talked to me about EVERYTHING. He would say “pumpkin, take it from daddy, cause I was a little boy once, daddy WANT TELL YOU ANYTHING WRONG”. He talked to me about little boys and what to watch for. I would feel uncomfortable sometimes, because he would talk to me about anything. I would ask him, why cant mommy talk to me, and he’d say cause daddy knows best. I’m not taking anything from my mom, she was there, but he wanted to tell me. My daddy” he was one in a million. Everyone said I was spoiled rotten, but I wasn’t, I was just “daddy’s little girl”. I would always say “I LOVE YOU MY DADDY & HE WOULD SAY I LOVE YOU MY BABY” We shared those words for years… Thanks again GOD for giving me a wonderful daddy!! I’m so sorry I didn’t get the chance to take care of him, the way he took care of me. He passed away when he was 53, there’s still a lot of unanswered questions about this death & I truely feel like someone took my dad’s life, but one day GOD will reveil. I have nothing but great memories! He taught me unconditional love, and that’s the love that I pass on to my 3 kids. We love you daddy! my rock, my life and my daddy!! RIP*10/23/06**