By MAY LEE JOHNSON South Bend Tribune Staff Writer WSBT-TV

1:07 p.m. EDT, June 16, 2012
SOUTH BEND—

Lester Townsend is a longtime South Bend resident. He and his wife, Rena, have been married 76 years and have raised two daughters, Gwendolyn Trotter, a retired educator, and Drapel Townsend, a retired nurse.

Now at 104 years old, he offers advice on 10 things a man needs to know to be a good father.

  • First, being a good father is synonymous with being a responsible human being.
  • As fathers, you have to learn to be tender, yet tough at times, be protective without smothering your child, and let them be independent, yet be there for them.
  • It doesn’t take much to make a baby, but it takes a lot of hard work to be a father.
  • A good education is the greatest gift you can give a child.
  • Always have time for you children. Work is no excuse for not being there when your child needs you. “I worked two jobs but I was at every milestone in their lives.”
  • Don’t send your children to church, take them. Church is where they begin to get their good values.
  • If you don’t give your child a hug, nobody else will.
  • If you don’t sit down and help a child, how can they learn?
  • Love doesn’t cost a dime and it should be given freely.
  • Fathers need to teach their children respect and to work hard for what they want because nobody is going to give you anything.