Field of Dreams - Memories of Paul and Libbie

By Michael Peck

It's hard to write about parents who you don't remember. They died in 1949, and I was 2-1/2. They were so young. Life was so promising. However, God and a Bolivian airplane pilot had other plans.

Dad, whose real name is Nathan Paul Pecker, was the last born child of Grandma Beeber. By all accounts he was the most adventurous and bold of all the boys. But like his older siblings, he shared a common bond of utter devotion to Grandma and to his family. This fact can be seen in his post-Army decision to join the family business, which was in it's infancy and all the families were clamoring for elbow room in Portsmouth.

He had to do two things, however, before he could settle in with the rest of the clan. He initiated the great name change and married the belle of Portsmouth. "Pecker" was lost as a legal moniker in November 1943, and he married Libby Reva Silverman in May, 1946. I was born a scant 14 months later and Gail was born 16 months after that.

Paul's restlessness can be gleaned from his decision to buy another scrap yard in Richmond. Uncle Edel told me, countless times, that this was entirely Paul's idea and it was against Edel's wishes. In retrospect, said Julius, it was the most important decision to the family's business survival.

Paul and Libby never really had a full portion of life, but there's no promise for any of us, either. However, what they had and what they left me has been more than satisfactory. Had things been different then, I would not have acquired "Ruben" as a legal name, like my Dad lost "Pecker."

Mea culpa. My version of these facts is based entirely on others' versions of the same facts. Second, had not Shelly or Ruth Sue come up with this wonderful idea. I wouldn't have even put down these few worlds. I would love to do more, and write it up better.

Mike Peck, June 1998