George Carlin

The late George Carlin be remembered by most not as a father, but more like the off-center uncle. But for all his fame he will forever be the father of one, Kelly Carlin-McCall — whose world view was shaped by both the light of his mind at times when he (for example) explained that the sun had exploded as well as living in the shadow of his fame.

Perhaps he never felt completely comfortable with the idea of a dad. Sure, he took his turn as a father in Jersey Girl, but the staple comedic target of "dad" was missing from most of his comedy, although it did rear its (slightly skewed) head in the the last episode of The George Carlin show included the skit of a son learning his dad played for the other team during the war. But maybe he stayed away from the subject — and seems to have left his daughter with both connection and distance — from his own experience of having a bullying, drunken dad [fortunately] skip out on him.

He could say the things dads couldn't and in ways they wouldn't and and sure make fathers laugh. Blessings to him and sympathy and condolence to Ms. C-McC.