Famous Latter-day Saints

Steven Sharp Nelson, Gail Halvorsen, Others Remember their Dads

My dad, Frank Collins, was a blind piano tuner who had a photographic memory before glaucoma stole his sight when he was 13.

When doctors told him he would go blind, he read the the entire encyclopedia and dictionary, and decades later he could recite the chunks of the Encyclopedia Britannica that had not changed. He also watched a lot of sunsets because he didn't want to forget how spectacular they were.

I learned from his example, but other lessons were more direct: Don't be rude. Don't be lazy. Share the gifts with which you are blessed. He was playful and resourceful.

A father's influence lasts a lifetime. Social science is awash with research about what an involved, interactive dad brings into the lives of his children, from emotional stability to a sense of playfulness and more. It's also clear that dads contribute different things to each of their children based on very personal, life-altering interactions.

To celebrate the approach of Father's Day, the Deseret News asked a mix of noteworthy individuals to talk about their dads and share the lessons that stuck.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman on her dad, Jackson Holtz: "What I learned from my dad was resilience. He ran for Congress and lost by 500 votes. The next morning, he got up, put on his tie and went back to work. That was an extraordinary message to me, and I've followed it. Without the tie!"

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