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My Father in Law


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Very sorry to hear this, JE1.   These situations are always so brutal for the family watching a loved one go through it.  Sending best thoughts to you all.

As a child of immigrants, I can relate to his story.   I want to scream when folks deride immigrants, the hardest working people you will ever find.  You're a good son (forget the in-law).

P.S. He is a very handsome, distinguished gentleman in the photo.  Looks a bit like Gregory Peck.

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On 11/15/2021 at 10:53 PM, Jet_Engine1 said:

My Father in law is in Hospice.... Probably won't see the weekend. Great guy,  emigrated from Turkey with my mom-in-law in 1970 with a few phrases of English and a couple of bucks in his pocket. Worked his ass off to build a decent life for his family here in America... my wife was born in Brooklyn, raised in Lake Ronkonkoma,  and moved to South Florida when my wife was in High School. Suat provided for his family doing whatever it took,  including owning a service station in Islip, a Sunoco...

 

He never had anything handed to him, and since not many people in this country can even find Turkiye on the map, much less speak the language, his path was tough, but Suat Gursel is a tough guy.

 

First time I met him, we were talking about what he did before he came to the U.S., and he told me he was "a Yeoman in the Turkish Navy"...I told him that sounded like the punchline of a dirty joke,  and he laughed his ass off. We became instant friends. 

 

Great guy and a good friend, he raised 2 wonderful girls, one of whom actually married me on purpose....

 

Anyway, seeing as how I use this place as online talk therapy, I just wanted to tell people about my friend Sat Gursel, originally from Istanbul,  but an adopted New Yorker. 

 

**** Cancer.

20211108_194317.thumb.jpg.517bbc97255c161b6a529ae152a43b46.jpg

 

I hope someone speaks that highly of me one day.  Where in Islip was the Sunoco station?  He sounds like my kind of guy. I LOVE stories of work, no handouts. Old school shlt!!!   

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6 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

I hope someone speaks that highly of me one day.  Where in Islip was the Sunoco station?  He sounds like my kind of guy. I LOVE stories of work, no handouts. Old school shlt!!!   

His station was in Bay Shore...sold it when he moved to Florida in the late 80s.

 

Found a pic of him from the Navy.

20211117_150204.thumb.jpg.3b10d1ac1cc69ce02c16d129aa7b1ca5.jpg

 

 

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