Dear Family
We had a great Father's Day yesterday with the phones ringing, many coming to the house. My granddaughter, Maryanna Fredenberg, capped it by coming up and saying she had a clean face and clean hands and wanted to hug and kiss me on Father's Day.
My thoughts turned to my own father, your grandfather, Le Roy Alvin Wirthlin, whom most of you never met or even saw. He was always my hero growing up. He was a collegiate athlete starring in track and football. He was on the University of Utah football team that won its first conference championship. He went to med school and transferred back to graduate from Harvard Medical school in 1928. He trained in general surgery at a prestigious New York Hospital, the Lenox Hill hospital.
He interrupted his training to serve a eight month proselyting mission "without purse of script" in the backwoods of New Jersey. That meant he had no apartment or finances and he and his missionary companion traded gospel messages for food and a place to sleep. They had success.
He finished his surgical training and started a practice in New York and married my Mom. From the time I was old enough to carry his medical bag, I knew I wanted to be a doctor and I wanted to be like him. He also had many callings and served in the Church as a Patriarch and on the General Welfare Committee in the days they travelled around to stake conferences. He was just a good man!
When I went back to Harvard Medical School, I was interviewed by a psychiatrist... I believe this was routine for all new med students. The Psychiatrist asked me a lot about my parents whom I enthusiastically described. At the end of the interview he observed, "You really identify with your Father". I asked, "Is there anyone better that I should identify with?" and that stopped the discussion cold. So we remember Father's and Grandfathers on this day we honor those remarkable men in our lives.
Alles Gute, Dad
5 comments:
My best wishes from Switzerland and "ad multos annos"!!
Peter Wirthlin
Rue du Murat 213
2875 Montfaucon
Switzerland
That's a great tribute to your dad! We are lucky to have such great role models for us and our kids. :-) HAPPY FATHERS DAY
It is a good thing that Maryanna washed her hands and face before she hugged and kissed you because those crepes we ate were really messy.
I never knew Grandpa Wirthlin except the old brothers saying ...."he was a really fun loving guy"
I especially like your come back to the psychiatrist -
Hallo Peter, Wie geht's? Ich hoffe dass wir einmal die Schweiz wieder besuchen koennen..Alles Gute
Hello Wirthlin family. My name is Thom Rich and I grew up in Bennion when the Wirthlin Family lived in the beautiful mansion on Redwood Road. I received a Patriarchal Blessing from Dr. Leroy Wirthlin in 1963 or 64. I remember, vaguely, Alvin as he was my brother's age. He also saw my mother at LDS after she had a stroke in 1987.
I started a group page on Facebook called, "The Best of Bennion Past." Some other Bennion Buddies have asked about your family home and I'm hoping I can make contact with someone who might have some pictures of the exterior and interior to share with us. And we'd love to have pics of the family who lived there. It's a closed group and so your information will be protected from the general public.
You're all invited to join our group page and see some of the great pictures that have been posted about the "good old days" growing up in Bennion. It would mean a lot to have a picture of the Wirthlin home and family on our page.
To introduce myself, my father's name is Eugene Rich and his father was Tom or Thomas William Rich. My brother Dennis, I believe was Alvin's age. Both my father and brother have passed away. But my younger brother Roger and sister Reon are still with us.
Please feel free to contact me at the email below and share whatever information you will.
Thank you for your time and I hope you'll be so kind to share a little bit of your family with us.
Thom Rich
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