"My dad passed away a little over a month ago in California. He was 89 years old and was recognized by the L.A. Times as the oldest Los Angeles County Lifeguard while he was still guarding. I lived out of state and would come visit him as often as I could, which amounted to about once a year. My dad liked cigars a lot, and was very fond of Cuban cigars, since we had family living in France who would send him Juan Lopez cigars occasionally. I wasn't a smoker but he got me to smoke one with him about fifteen years ago. At that time I wasn't too enamored with cigar smoking, but enjoyed sharing that moment with my aging father. When I flew to California for the funeral of my dad last month, my eldest sons were present at the funeral, and afterwards, we smoked several of the Cubans he had remaining in a cigar box. For some reason, smoking that cigar really clicked with me since I worked as a beach lifeguard as well, and I found myself standing on the beach where both my dad and I life-guarded, and smoking cigars with my sons. It was a glorious Fall day and we were reveling in the moment, feeling inspired, and reflecting on my dad's life and the lives he touched. I ended up taking home one of the humidors he had and have since stocked it with many good cigars. I am proud to say I am an occasional cigar smoker who relishes the memory of a father who saved many lives from drowning, and relished the simple pleasure of a cigar with his son and friends." - Mark from Hubert, OK
