Last Sunday would have been my father-in-law’s Dave’s 81st birthday. He was a wickedly funny, mischievous, brilliant, vibrant, joyous, jovial gentleman and his loss has left a huge hole in our lives.

While it can’t make up for him not being here with us, each year we’ve tried to come up with a special way to celebrate his day and his memory.

For this February, we decided on a nationwide international coffee (or beverage of your choice) toast with friends and family.

David and I were in Augusta, visiting his mom, Linda, so we started the morning with our java tribute to Dave with special mugs depicting the logo from one of his favorite submarines, the Haddock. We all have official Bechtel mugs from the company where he worked, but we forgot to bring them, so we printed out submarine logos and taped them to plain white mugs.

Over in Birmingham, my sister, her husband and my niece Livvy, made a toast with slushies!

Over in Chelsea, my parents chimed in with a jug of vino!

In California, my husband’s sister, Debbie and her husband Joe raised a coffee salute:

along with Debbie’s son (Dave’s grandson) Joey and his wife Jessica!

And across the pond in England, Debbie’s daughter Alison hoisted a cuppa!

Sister-cousin Patti proffered the coff in Huntsville, Alabama.

And in Michigan, sister-cousin Christa re-branded Dave’s favorite beverage, in a toast that was a tonic to her feelings.

So here’s to Dave: best husband, Dad, G’Pa, uncle, father-in-law and friend:  We miss you but you are always part of us. And there is no whining.  We promise.

We love you.

Salute!