Dad and mom on Donna's Christing - [1956 ]

Donna on dad's shoulders [1957]

Dad with daughters, Donna and Laura [2000]

Dedication from Donna [Emil's daughter]:

My fondest memories of my dad are when my sister, Laura, and I were little girls. Dad would bring out his harmonica at night and play old country ditties like “Oh, Suzanna”, “This Old Man”, and “BINGO”. We laughed and sang the night away. When the music finished, we rumbled and tumbled about. Then he turned us upside down and tickled us until we screamed “Stop! “IT'S ENOUGH!” Boy, were we glad when he stopped! Dad always loved a good time. As we grew up he took us sledding, had snowball fights, taught us to play tennis, basketball and baseball. Since he had no sons he invited us, his daughters, to the Cleveland Brown football games in the winter and we learned to love it as much as any son would. Those were great times with Dad. He always had a way to make birthdays special and lavished us with chocolate whenever the occasion would arise.

Emil's family is from Czechoslovakia, so we belonged to “Sokol”, a Czech organization.. Along with our aunts, uncles and cousins, we participated in sporting competitions, BBQ's and other events which kept us in touch with the Czech community. I really love those times and it helped forge strong ties within the Roth family. Grandmother Roth cooked the best Czech food on the planet and spoiled us all at every holiday. Unfortunately, I never learned to speak Czech, even though I heard it spoken when we were together at family gatherings.

As the years went on, life got harder as mom's sickness got worse . Mom spent less time at home, so dad took over. He worked hard doing all that was necessary to run a household and my sister and I helped him. It was teamwork as we kept up our cozy little home at 6007 Vandalia Ave. Life was not always easy, but struggles are what make us stronger. We struggled together.

When I left home, a deep sever was made in our relationship and it took many years to repair it. But we both learned to forgive and forget and began building new bridges together. Dad was just as good a grandfather as he was father. He came all the way to Portugal to visit his first grandson, Philip. In later years, he travelled to Macau to see us again and by that time he had 8 grandchildren, 6 in Macau and 2 in the USA. We then met again in 2000 when our whole family went to the USA to visit.. It was a wonderful time of family reunion and some of our most fond memories come from those happy days together.

Emil trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He has entered into his rest. He died in Christ. Jesus Christ, who has gotten the victory over death, has promised us that,“ We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. “

“ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? “ (l Cor 15:51-55)