Fathers reflect on their own paternal role models
'A good father is patient and he knows how to control his children. He is with them whenever they need it and even when they don't.' - Harvey Klein
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Cliff Williams

A generation or two ago most fathers had to spend their time earning a living away from home. The paternal role was mostly that of disciplinarian and provider.

But these limitations didn't prevent good fathers from leaving an enduring mark on their sons who are now grown men with children of their own.

The traditional roles have changed so today's fathers have many more opportunities to bond with their children, said Cliff Williams, a Camarillo resident and captain of the California Highway Patrol division in Moorpark.

Fathers participate in school and sport activities and they help out at home, said Williams, who has fond memories of the precious time he got to spend with his father, Cliff Sr.

"He worked hard and provided a good example to me about what a father should be like," said Williams.

"My dad not only had that really strong brave side but also that tender loving part of him that most people never saw," said Williams, recalling a special moment that took place when he was nine years old.

Kip Landis

As a third-grader Williams still believed in Santa Claus, so his father took him on a long drive to tell him the truth about the jolly old man. "He was able to break the bad news to me in a very tender way," said Williams, who was the oldest of four children.

Although the furniture salesman from Daly City was a busy person, he always found time for his children, William recalled.

But on Father's Day in 1974, Williams realized something was wrong when his father called for a ride back home because he wasn't feeling well.

Cliff Williams Sr. died five months later from stomach cancer, but he left a permanent impression with his son, who was 16 at the time.

"His influence has lived on with me," said Williams, indicating he felt privileged because he got to know his father longer than his younger siblings.

The greatest gift

"The greatest gift my father gave me was being a role model on what it means to be a good parent," said Kipp Landis, the son of a retired high school teacher.

Harvey and Craig Klein

"He was my first coach and thankfully my most lasting," said Landis, an attorney who works in downtown Los Angeles who also serves on the Moorpark Planning Commission.

Now Landis is enjoying the rewards of fatherhood with his two young sons, Quintt, 6, and Jett, 4.

"They both played on my 'coach-pitch' baseball team. There is no better feeling than seeing the smile on their faces when they play," he said.

Landis also wishes that he could freeze time to enjoy the innocence of his boys longer.

Enjoy children's successes

"A good father is patient and he knows how to control his children. He is with them whenever they need it and even when they don't," said Harvey Klein, father of Moorpark resident Craig Klein.

Craig Klein, an assistant chief with California Highway Patrol in Los Angeles County, remembers the sacrifices his father had to make to provide for his loved ones.

"My father always made the family a priority," he said, recalling that on cold winter nights his dad had to walk a long way get to his cab because it was parked in a garage five blocks away.

Harvey Klein was a firefighter in the Air Force until he became a cab driver in New York City. The family moved to California in the late 1960s because there were more opportunities here, Klein said.

After working as a traveling salesman, the elder Klein opened a sporting goods business in the San Fernando Valley where he enrolled the help of both of his sons.

Harvey Klein, 74, lives in Simi Valley with his wife of 53 years, Shirley. He enjoys witnessing the successes that both of his sons, Craig and Mark, have achieved professionally and as family men, he said.

Since they all live in Ventura County, the Klein family remains close today and they make time to appreciate one another as generations grow.

"My dad has really got a lot of enjoyment out of my successes and I get a lot of enjoyment from my children's successes," said Craig Klein, who now has two teenager daughters.