05/18/2025
Hi! I’m Emily, Craig’s daughter and Jacks sister.
I was going through some old photos tonight and I thought I would share some from the early years of Deese Marine Service over at the old warehouse on Lakeside Dr.
Growing up, this place was heaven. While dad worked on boats and mom ran the office the old warehouse was mine and Jacks kingdom to explore. From drag racing Barbie Jeeps and Jeff Gordon race cars (which dad had souped up to be like 3x as fast as they should’ve been lol), to finding golf balls the neighbor had tossed over the fence, learning to ride my bike and roller skate (not well), “scanning” the perimeter of the yard in whatever mode of transportation we could find, sometimes a bike, Barbie Jeep, golf cart, or my moms Buick Lesabre, which I almost crashed into the end of the storage part once. Don’t tell her that.
We found birds nests, and tad poles, and fiberglass. When your dad says “That’s fiberglass, DO NOT touch it” he has a good reason, and you probably shouldn’t touch it. One of the many lessons learned over there.
My dance studio even moved into the other half of the building and every time dad would rev an engine I’d tell the girl beside me, “this is my dad’s shop, we work on boats.” I’m sure they didn’t care, but I was proud.
We ate popsicles from the kitchen when it would get too hot, and crackers from Mr. Genes old school lance cracker machine inside the building (which I still think was the coolest thing ever) when dad refused to take us to the gas station down the road in his “big green thumb” (his Ford dually that I loved so much). Mom would pack lunch, and sometimes dinner, and we would eat over there while dad worked late, or waited for a customer to drop off or pick up their boats.
Jack and I learned how to engage with people over there, even as young kids. Watching mom and dad interact with customers and friends who stopped by shaped us in ways that we still carry today.
I’m sure some of you were around back then, and I want to thank you. Thank you for helping us build something, for giving me and Jack a place to roam and explore and learn. I miss that place and those days and I’m thankful they happened. That my dad is a whiz when it comes to boats and engines and Barbie Jeep batteries and my mom encouraged us to go and play and explore and didn’t care if I drove her Buick LeSabre at 8 years old.
Thank you for being our customers, then and now. Our family appreciates you.
