Very little is known of dad's ancestry. When asked he used to tell us jokingly his family was horse thieves and they were all hung for it. We know that his father, Harold J Coffey Sr was from a family that had been in this country for several generations.
For some reason my grandfathers parents were unable to parent the children in the family so my grandfather raised his siblings, Martha, and Edward. Genetics and the stress of early responsibility tipped my grandfather into the abyss of alcoholism. Whispered tales from family and friends tell of alcohol inspired abuses to both my grandmother and father.
After graduating high school dad joined the army believing that if he signed up he would get better duty than if he waited and was drafted. Unfortunately it didn't work that way and he ended up fighting on Pork Chop Hill, an event I believe shaped the rest of his life.
After returning from the military my father married his childhood sweetheart, Marilyn Clarke and I was born a little over a year later. Dad took advantage of the GI bill and went to college while he and mom worked to support their new apartment and growing family. Dad was soon hired by IBM and rose through the ranks rapidly. After about ten years with the company my father began to travel in the orient for his work. It was during this time that he began to change.
Because alcoholism was so devastating for his family my father seldom drank.
For some reason my grandfathers parents were unable to parent the children in the family so my grandfather raised his siblings, Martha, and Edward. Genetics and the stress of early responsibility tipped my grandfather into the abyss of alcoholism. Whispered tales from family and friends tell of alcohol inspired abuses to both my grandmother and father.
After graduating high school dad joined the army believing that if he signed up he would get better duty than if he waited and was drafted. Unfortunately it didn't work that way and he ended up fighting on Pork Chop Hill, an event I believe shaped the rest of his life.
After returning from the military my father married his childhood sweetheart, Marilyn Clarke and I was born a little over a year later. Dad took advantage of the GI bill and went to college while he and mom worked to support their new apartment and growing family. Dad was soon hired by IBM and rose through the ranks rapidly. After about ten years with the company my father began to travel in the orient for his work. It was during this time that he began to change.
Because alcoholism was so devastating for his family my father seldom drank.
