Local Dad 'Overloaded By Girls' A Positive Influence On Family

CHANNAHON-MINOOKA, IL— Father's Day is the perfect time to give a big thanks to all the dads who put smiles on our faces. Channahon-Minooka, meet Gary Wachowiak.

If you know a dad who sends sweet, silly, or thoughtful texts your way, you’re pretty lucky. Texts from Dad have a way of putting a smile on our faces — and this Father’s Day, we’re celebrating the fathers behind the phones!

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to shine a light on awesome dads and the funny, insightful things they say. This submission comes from "all your kids" who nominated Gary Wachowiak of Channahon-Minooka.

What makes your dad extra special?

He ALWAYS makes sure all “his kids” have life advice. From his own three (two girls and a boy), his stepdaughter, and his informally adopted daughter and granddaughter, he is overloaded by girls and takes his job very seriously.

All of us have a very hard work ethic while working in Minooka, Morris, Shorewood and now Naperville. The bosses always compliment us to him when they see him in town.

He’s disabled but there’s nothing disabled about his drive. His wife has suffered from a year-long illness and is currently unemployed and unpaid. She was the primary financial breadwinner and Dad has been taking care of everything she needs, including all the household needs, all his own “chores” and has taken a part-time job DoorDashing in town because he’s not a long-distance driver anymore.

He never complains and never asks for anything except maybe help moving furniture and continues to be the family cheerleader. His granddaughter heard him tell her to be careful, slow down, don’t run, and pay attention so often that one of her first sentences was, “Paw, I’m fine.” He can be seen in his “Paw because Grandpa is for old guys” T-shirt at all the local parks with her or playing cops and robbers with her in the clubhouse parking lot so she’s “safe” in her Jeep.

He’s known as the “walking man” on our block because he walked our family to a healthier lifestyle over 5 years ago and hasn’t looked back. He turned us all around so much that we are an extremely healthier family than we were. We had to sneak our unhealthy food into the house when we were younger and he still inspects our kitchen cupboards and gives us advice on better habits and how to use them when he visits. His granddaughter will have an avocado, black beans and carrots for dinner due to his influence. She was diagnosed with a dairy allergy last year and she loved her cheese, but her Paw got her through a tough lifestyle change all before starting kindergarten.

Everything he does is for the positive, for God, his family, friends and neighbors.

Why do you feel your dad deserves the spotlight?

He never thinks of himself this would show him we see it and appreciate him.

Happy Father’s Day to Gary Wachowiak, and thank you for all you do!

This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.

Know an amazing dad who sends great texts? Nominate him here by June 15.