Missing my Dad on Father’s Day - 2025

Missing my Dad on Father’s Day

By, John M. Goralka
Sacramento, CA

While we were growing up, my dad worked 6 days a week. He was a radiologist and for many years the only radiologist in Livermore Valley. As a result, we were not able to travel very often because he had to stay within “beeper” range just in case there was a call. My dad loved day trips or drives, such as to White Castle hamburgers in Hayward and his favorite spot was the trip to Mt. Diablo to see the wind caves. This was probably challenging for my parents as I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Sitting in the back out of arms reach from my parents was always preferred.

One memory that was probably not positive for my dad, was a trip up Mt. Diablo when we were all loaded in a van. The van stalled out and was rolling, it had lost power steering and power breaks. We survived, but I am not sure that was a favorite memory of my dad who was driving.

Those trips were a lot of fun. We were always in a large vehicle just to hold us, we rode in a Station Wagon with fold up kid’s seats in the back, or a yellow GMC which had 4 rows of seats, that was named the Tuna Boat. 

My Dad was very talented. He originally wanted to be an artist, but his mom pushed him towards medical school. His artistic talents surfaced when he painted a mural of ancient ruins in our kitchen. He worked with wood; he made all our beds and desks when we were kids. He also single-handedly completed large projects such as carports, workshops and the conversion of our garage into 2 bedrooms and a laundry room. 

My dad was not just a doctor but also worked at a 300-acre sheep ranch, where I learned to drive around the age of 10. We strung the fencing ourselves, which often had us driving the Jeep into tight areas. Backing up a car as a driver is uncomfortable for an adult over long stretches, but for a 10-year-old boy, that was very exciting. I drove tractors, bulldozers, dump trucks and operated a backhoe at a young age.

The fog often rolled in while working on the fence, when that happened you could barely see your hand in front of your face. We had a family of peacocks that lived on the ranch. A peacock scream sounds like a woman screaming in absolute terror. With the fog and the peacock screams, this reminded me of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sherlock Holmes.

What I remember best about my dad was his sense of humor and the twinkle in his eyes. He was not the life of the party; his humor was quiet and more subtle than that. My dad’s jokes and clever stories are wonderful memories for me.

My Dad was an excellent photographer. He often had 2 or 3 Cameras around his neck; he took many great pictures of his family. I wish we had more pictures of dad with us.

Happy Father’s Day Dad.

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Sacramento Estate Planning, Tax Planning and Business Attorney.

I’m John Goralka, a Sacramento Estate Planning, Tax Planning and Business Attorney at the Goralka Law Firm, P.C. If you have an estate, tax or business situation needing legal help, contact our team for experienced and friendly advice. You can contact us at 916-440-8036. Alternatively, you can use our convenient online contact form here on our website. We listen, and you can have your questions answered, your case evaluated, and explore your options for getting the legal help you need. 

There are almost 200,000 attorneys in the state of California, and fewer than 100 of those attorneys are State Bar Specialists in Estate Planning, Trusts and Probate and State Bar Specialists in Taxation.  I am one of the few attorneys with both critical specializations.  I passed the California CPA examination and am a former income tax auditor and hearing officer.  I am also recognized as a top attorney in the United States by US News and World Reports and by Best Lawyers and hold an AV rating from Martindale which is the premiere rating organization for attorneys.  The AV rating is the highest possible rating for legal experience and for legal ethics.  

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