AKU/AKUTOO

Bob has been asked many times why he is called Aku. So here is the history of Aku.

When son Scott was just a little gaffer,his grandfather Bruce Bovill,delighted in taking Scott to the cottage. We would pack a little suitcase with a change of clothes and night wear. The two of them would go to Monetville for a couple of days of fishing and camping.

From the very beginning Margaret was called Nanny and it was easy for Scott to say. But the word Grandpa or Grandad didn't come so easily. In baby talk Scott referred to his grandfather as Aku. Remember,he was less than a year old at the time. He also called his little suitcase Aku because he related this word with going to camp with his grandfather.

As Scott got a little older and began to enlarge his vocabulary,the baby talk of favourite words were lost. But his grandfather was so pleased with the name Aku,he encouraged Scott to continue with this familiar word. Nanny and Aku Boville was established.

This endearment continued on with all five children. The originating of the name was repeated to friends many times.

Time marches on and within a blink of an eye Bob and I were grandparents to Lisa Trencs.Without any thought we knew what we wanted to be called by our grandchildren.Tradition had been established!

As our five children grew older and left the nest, Bob and I realized we could now fulfill one of our dreams. We bought our first RV to travel in. A Winnebago Chieftain came to sit in the yard in Carlisle. Bob was working at the School for the Deaf with a talented faculty. One of the teachers painted a tire cover for the spare tire on the back of the RV. Now we had graduated to a new term. AKUTOO.

Now it's time for Bob to retire from teaching. We threw a small party of family and friends. Silly little, appropriate gifts were presented on this momentous occasion. Our kids knew what their Dad would love to have. A personalized licence plate reflecting his name. AKUTOO.

They couldn't have thought of a better gift to give him. A lifetime gift!

Speaking of lifetime!! Bob will now carry the word Aku on his upper arm in the form of a tattoo.

Now our grandchildren are growing up and they have no problem introducing their grandfather to friends as Aku. But the explanations never stop. We don't mind,we love to tell the history.