Rod McCracken is a very special person, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, neighbour and friend.

That's what Jacqueline McCracken told me and she should know, she's been married to the man for 55 years.

"I sent in the nomination form because I just wanted him know that he has always been my hero," Jacquelinne told me.

Rod's son, Roy, thinks of his dad as the person who was always there if anyone needed him.

"Whenever there were difficult times, I always remember that Dad would be there and somehow he was always able to diffuse the situation, get people talking and beginning to solve their problems whatever they were, or at least, he'd get them to agree to disagree."

When I asked Roy what lessons he felt he had learned from his dad, his response was immediate -- "Patience, persistence and always being there to help others if you can."

Both Roy and Craig summed up their dad by saying that, if he gave you his word, he would always stand behind it. You could count on it. They also remember him as being firm but fair as they grew up ... and that perhaps that he had to be a little more "firm" with Craig than Roy.

"Believe me, I was a challenging teenager," Craig laughed. "I got into tons of trouble but Dad was always there for me. He wouldn't just smack me up side the head. Although sometimes I wanted him to so that would have been the end of it ... but instead, he'd just hang in there and talk to me ... patiently and firmly.

"Looking back at all the people I grew up with," Craig continued, "the ones that didn't turn out were the ones that had what we thought, at the time, were the 'cool' parents, the parents who'd hang out with us and have the odd beer ... or other stuff. But I had parents that really cared. Both Dad and Mom were always there when I needed them."

As Craig said that, I couldn't help but wonder how many of us feel the same way about our parents, and yet we've never told them so. Do you think today would be a good time to do that?

Dave Fitger confirmed everything I had heard about Roy from his sons. Dave worked as a young apprentice electrician under Rod years ago. He's now living in Alberta.

"He was one of those foremen that stick out in your mind," he told me, "and I've tried to model some of my own foreman techniques after what I learned from him. He was a good, fair man and he always got the best out of people."

Seconds after I hung up the phone, Dave's wife, Sharon, called back.

"I've got to get my two cents worth in," she began. "These two people were like an extra set of parents to us. They were very special and Rod and David were definitely like father and son. It was just great to see them together."

Mrs. Anderson, an old Vancouver neighbour gave me a similar story about Rod ... and I tried to reach Laurie Shaw because I know she wanted to tell me stories about how Rod had been like a grandfather to her kids while they attended Jacqueline's Yellow Point Child Care Centre ... but I ran out of time and column space.

The more I heard about Rod McCracken, the more I felt that, if I had talked to enough people, I could have writen a book about this man ... and his wife too.