Dec 4, 2011 will not be forgotten

4 Dec 2011 - I learned that the man that I love almost as much as my husband has passed away. My father, Danny Leavitt, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 64 while asleep in his bed. He didn't feel a thing. Simply just didn't wake up one morning.

My dad is an amazing guy. He has always been there for us, to help with science projects, to help with homework, to go to a band concert, or to just tell us his latest joke-however lame it was. My dad wanted to have a good time in life. He was always trying to hang out with me and my friends on a Friday night, or show us a "fun" game if I was having a party at the house. He helped me buy my first car and taught me that you need to do good not for praise, but for the simple reason of doing good.

Almost anyone in music in Las Vegas knows my dad. The entire school district knows him, almost all the church members know him, and everyone in between. You mention Danny Leavitt and they talk to you like you are a movie star. He is a genius, he is a wonderful person, he is so giving, he has the perfect ear for things - that is just a few of the things people say about my dad.

When I learned that my father passed away, Jake was away (about 3 hours north of where we are in Korea) for a week. He had just left the night before and was going to be in a field sanitation class for a week, without coming home. When I called to tell him what had happened, he didnt think he would be able to come home and I was going to try and find a way to get to LV by myself. But he was able to leave his class, drive back to our home, and be with me in this hard time. His superiors were nothing but helpful, doing paperwork for us, getting anything we needed. They did great. We got plane tickets right away and were on the plane to LV by 6p on Tues night.

The flight was good and we got here. It was really hard to see my mother so sad and not have any words of comfort for her, but I know she understands what is going on with Dad now and she knows he is in a better place and resting. I didnt get to see my dad until Friday at the viewing. That was a simple thing and just a good time for me to look at him and see how happy he looked.

Saturday was the funeral. You would not BELIEVE how many people were there. I would estimate (between the number of signatures and the fact that the gym was full behind the overflow in the chapel) that there were easily 500 people. My dad touched MANY lives and everyone wanted to be there for it. It was an hour and a half and had a TON of music, which only makes sense because of my fathers life.

Monday, we got to see him be buried in the veterans cemetery in Boulder City, NV where he was born and raised. Again, a simple service for a man who never asked for anything. He wanted to be buried in a pine box, but we got him a beautiful silver and black casket.

My father is an extraordinary man and will be missed. But having the gospel in my life and knowing that I am going to be with him and that he is up with his parents having a great time, makes this a wonderful experience. He now can rest and not work so hard. Maybe he is tweaking the sound system up in heaven or having the angels show him the ways around. Who knows. But I do know that he will live in me forever and I will share his legacy with my children.

(side note - my mother's father passed away in 2000 also on Dec 4 - crazy day)