Obituary
Robert Amon was my sweet Daddy, the best ever. Born on July 8, 1920 in Columbus, GA, to Henry Thomas and Daisy Brannon Amon, he lived a full and joyous life of 96 years. He died peacefully on the morning of October 2, 2016. He grew up with 3 brothers, Gerald, Tot, and Bill, and even then lived life to the fullest with a young widowed mother during the depression. Dad became the truest of southern gentlemen. As a banker for 48 years with First National Bank of Columbus, starting as a runner between branches at age 16, he knew many people in the community. I never met anyone who didn’t immediately like my Dad. When I told him that once, he commented that I had never met some of the people to whom he refused bank loans! That was his personality…always a great comeback that was peppered with humor, a gleam in his eye, and truth. For the last 3 months, he daily has been singing Young at Heart, which also perfectly describes him. He had a tremendous love of music which he shared with all his friends. Following his Naval service in both the Atlantic and Pacific during World War II, he met my mother, Miriam Krajicek, on a blind date in September of 1945 in Philadelphia, as his ship was being decommissioned. They had four dates, a visit by her to Columbus, and were married 5 months later. Literally the moment she died, after 51 years of marriage, he said, “I knew I loved her the first time I met her.” He and I were always buddies and very close friends. We treasured our time together always. He supported me and encouraged me my entire life. Dad was a man of integrity, who loved a good laugh, loved teasing others in gentle ways, and had a heart marked with sincere compassion and thankfulness. Although he had grown up in Rose Hill Baptist Church, he realized how important being together in worship is for a family. So, he and I were confirmed together at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church when I was 10. He was very private about his faith, but held firmly to his love for Christ. In his last months, in particular, he shared his desire for family prayer and reading of the Scriptures together. He literally thanked God every day for the life he had been given. He loved to share from his own abundance and served faithfully through his church, his own anonymous projects, and the outreach projects of the Exchange Club, of which he was a member for 50 years. He cherished his friends there and was honored with the Andrew Award for his service and inspiration to others. My husband, Larry, and I had the privilege of caring for my Dad in these last few years of his life. Larry was definitely his next best buddy and Dad thought of him as the son he never had. We were again a family of 3 here in Daytona, where our original family of 3 began vacationing in 1951. My Dad was filled with joy every day here as he looked out over the ocean and all the activity on the beach. He told me about a year ago that if heaven were better than this, he was ready. I assured him heaven is better, and now he knows firsthand. Although our family is small, he leaves behind his sisters-in-law, Ann Amon and Eileen Krajicek, along his nieces and nephews, the family members of his dear lady friend, Thyrel Pickren, and more friends than one can imagine for a man of his age. If you would enjoy celebrating Dad’s life with us, please join us at his memorial service in Columbus this Saturday, October 8, at 11:00 at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. A second gathering to remember Dad will be held in Daytona on Sunday evening, October 16, at 7:30 in the Grand Coquina Club Room. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Exchange Club of Columbus, P.O. Box 1466, Columbus, GA 31902 with the notation: Child Abuse Prevention Program. For all of you who knew my Dad, thank you for enriching his life and ours.
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