J. Winkelmann
I met Robert and his family through his son Scott when we were stationed together at the Fire Department. Scott was a brother to me and his family quickly became my extended family and my memories of Robert were always of a father figure to me.
I often told him that he was the only dad that I had left and he lived up to that expectation that I put on him without ever asking him if he even wanted it. He never let me down and was always and I mean ALWAYS there for what ever it was that I needed. From fatherly advice to fixing everything that I ever owned that had a compressor on it, (along with Jorge, thank you Jorge), he was always there.
He always seemed to have a joke ready for me each time we met and there will never be a more enjoyable moment in my life to remember than having Cuban toast and coffee with him at one of the local West Tampa shops. I'll always remember him picking half the ham off his Cuban sandwiches because "they put too much ham". We would sit and he would share his knowledge, his stories and advice.
The love I had for him can not be typed or even expressed by words and every memory I have with him will be treasured.
He was the last dad I had left and I was Blessed to have him in my life.
With great love and respect,
Wink