Epithets

Someone requested to hear my talk from my dad's funeral because they couldn't attend so here it is...

I am Allison Moschetti the smartest, most talented and most beautiful daughter of Garry...ok, the only daughter and am married to Rhett Moschetti.  We have been married for 10 years and have two boys, Cameron who is 8 and Brenden who is 5 and one girl, Madison who will be 1 on Friday.  I would like to tell you about my dad using epithets and until yesterday, I didn’t even know how to pronounce that word.  Epithets are words used to characterize a person and boy was my dad a character.  Here are a few words we think of when we think of our dad…

Father

Husband

Grandpa

Uncle

Brother

Identical Twin Brother

Son

Family

Genealogist

Artist

Patriot

Army Veteran

Vietnam

Korea

Ft. Polk, LA

Hanau, Germany

Ft. Knox, Kentucky

Bishop

Counselor

Priesthood

Missionary

Great Lakes

Testimony of the Gospel

Patriarch

Chaplain

And then there’s Chapbo – back when Rambo was popular, my dad was a Chaplain and would go out in the field doing training.  One of the soldiers started calling him Chapbo and it just stuck.  Dad loved it and even gave himself a theme song – (batman like - dun na na na na na na na dun na na na na na na na Chapbo)

Student Body President

Wrestling Champion

Rosemead, California

Fisherman

Painter

Gardener

Mail Carrier

Party Host

Potato Salad

V8 Juice

Raisin Cookies

Heinz 57 Sauce

Shrimp and Seafood

Wendy’s Chicken Sandwiches

He’d always say “Taste This”

And I can’t forget Costco!

His Costco runs we’re notorious in our family – we hope no one in the neighborhood saw him bringing in box after box of things he’d bought at Costco every week.  I know it was frustrating to see all the things he’d bought but secretly I was always so excited to come over and see what he would let me sneak home. 

Anyway…

Movie buff

Jersey Boys

Valentine’s Day

Grey Flannel Cologne – which doesn’t sound much like a describing word but if you knew my dad, you knew he always wore Grey Flannel.  In fact, when Rhett and I were dating I brought him over to the house to meet my parents for the first time and my dad knew he was coming so I can imagine him putting on his nice shirt and just waiting to attack.  Well, when we got there Rhett was bombarded first by a huge, boisterous welcoming hug and then by the overwhelming amount of cologne my dad had sprayed on. Needless to say, Rhett smelled like grey flannel the rest of the night!

More words…

Hugs & Kisses

Great laugh

Story Teller

Jokester

Silly

Donald Duck Voice

Disappearing Thumb Trick – that trick, to this day, there are still grandkids who believe my dad could take off his thumb and my kids always ask me to do the thumb trick, he’s been doing that one for decades

And then there’s the Tickle Bug – dad would grab someone and hug them and then say, whatever you do, don’t lift your arm, don’t do it and the person in his grasp would fight to keep their arm down but even as a 34 year old, it was really tough to fight him off and we would end up almost peeing our pants because he tickled us so hard.  He was always so strong.

Happy

Joyful

Kind

Cheerful

Selfless

Giving

Samaritan

Service

Overwhelmingly Generous

And the last one, which is the ultimate and perfect epitome of my dad is

Unconditional Love

If you knew anything about my dad, that was his absolute, number one main philosophy in life.  He loved, cared for, had compassion for, gave and gave and loved, loved, loved every single person he ever laid eyes on.  No matter what.  He was a selfless and perfect example of what Jesus taught and he took that very seriously.  We as a family take that very seriously and try to live up to the legacy that our dad has left to us.  Because we know it is what he would have us do and especially what the Lord has asked of us.  

We love you, dad.