Remembering Daddy
Paul Stephens Hull Terrell was my father. There are several things about Daddy that will never fade from memory. Fiercely proud of being a native of Georgia, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of Georgia history and frequently shared his knowledge with my brother and me. A strong Christian, he lived out his faith every day and taught us by example. He was fun to be with because he enjoyed life, always laughing. He was a wonderful father and knew how to really be there for us. He always encouraged me, “You can do it.” He made everything a teachable moment and I followed his example with my own children. In my granddaughter’s Christmas thank you note this year, she wrote, “… you teach me many things.”
Daddy was in school at Berry, and milking cows at the Normandy Barns, when World War II interrupted his education. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained at Ft. Benning. He drove a DUK, an amphibious vehicle used for troop transport. On completion of training, he was sent to Guadalcanal. He told me about coming home from the war. He said, “When I got home, the first thing I did was go out to Possum Trot where I’d ploughed a garden. When
I got to the pasture where I knew the mules would be, I saw one of the mules, named Jenny. I called out to her, and she came over to the fence. She remembered me!” You know that was one homesick Georgia boy. As for completing college, Daddy wasted no time enrolling at UGA and graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture in 1953.
A teacher in Floyd County schools for over 32 years, Daddy was assistant principal, and coached the girls’ basketball team and the boys’ baseball team at Celanese. He also taught at McHenry and ended his career as assistant principal at Pepperell Middle School. I vividly remember the teachers’ banquet the year he retired. They called his name. He went to the microphone and said, “This is no time to be sad. It’s like Kenny Rogers says, ‘You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.’ It is time to fold!” He received riotous applause and a standing ovation.
For many years Daddy served as Scoutmaster of Troop 11 at Celanese. In later years, he and the late Ed Edmondson organized Troop 113, sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Rome. A staunch supporter of Scouting, he always said, “Scouting makes leaders.” Daddy earned the Silver Beaver award, and Brownsea Double Two.
Daddy helped organize the Waguli Lodge of Order of the Arrow. One of Daddy’s proudest moments was when he joined the Camp Sidney Dew Alumni Association. He was the first member to have three generations in the family attend Camp Sidney Dew. My brother and my son are both Eagle Scouts and attended Camp Sidney Dew.
Tomorrow is Father’s Day, a special day when we celebrate our fathers and remember those who have passed away. Daddy passed away in 2002, but I keep his memory alive with a zillion great memories. I miss him and am exceedingly thankful for him.