Grandpa a hero because of his love and dedication to family
David Coykendall poses with grandson.
January 10, 2014
Everyone has his/her own idea of who and what a hero is. My hero is my grandfather, Dr. David Coykendall.
My grandfather was born on October 19, 1934. He has been married to my grandmother, Janet Coykendall, for over 50 years and has lived in the same house he bought in Tracy for over 40 years. He had four children, Linda, Pamela, Robert, and Timothy. Three of his four children followed in his footsteps by going into the medical field. This also makes me consider taking classes in the medical field.
The reason my grandpa is my hero is because of the love he has for his family. He spent time in the military as an Air Force dental officer. He served for about four years in Korea and Japan. Someday, I would like to visit these places. He also started his family while in Japan, only a hero could take on this task.
He began practicing dentistry in 1958 and practiced until 2009, over 50 years. He started his own business and became a dentist in Tracy in March of 1963. Everyone one of his patients loved him, and he made an impact on everyone he met. His people skills are something to admire, and I hope that one day I will be as social as he was.
His life inspires me to work hard and hope that one day my life will be as interesting as his. The number of people that come up and talk to him is astounding. Strangers that he only met once years ago would recall events of their encounter like it was just yesterday.
His successes in the medical field give me hope to one day venture into the same field and find equal success. I hope to follow in his footsteps and be a caring and compassionate man just like him.
Heroes’ week gave me a chance to reflect on the people that impact my life the most, whether it is negative or positive.
