Bird Man of Medina

My grandfather had a life-long interest in canaries.
He bought his first pair of canaries in Medina in 1915 from the grandmother of the city's police chief.

After a major accident on his motorcycle in 1933, he turned to raising canaries as a business,
more out of love than simply for making money.
Most of his crosses with wild birds were infertile, but he never stopped trying his experiments
and kept records of his failures and successes.
He was quite particular about bird feed, adapting his own recipes.
He said the best was canary seed and rape mixed half and half with some thistle and poppy seeds.
Eggs and bread crumbs were useful in the breeding season.
He and Violet would spend up to 12 hours a day caring for the canaries.
He was skilled at training canaries to sing.

In 1930 he won first place in a Cleveland bird show with a hybrid between a female canary and a European goldfinch.
He continued to win prizes, as the trophies accumulated.

from the Akron Beacon Journal, 1949

One of Grandpa's most popular canary breeds was one that had Beatles style hair.
It was all the rage in Medina at the time.
This won first prize in the National Cage Bird Show in Columbus in 1967.

Grandpa had a way with birds. He once found a cardinal with a broken wing and adopted it.
He named it Petie.
I have seen wild birds come and land on his hand.

On July 13, 1986 Grandpa passed away at the age of 93.
In his last years he could be seen riding a bicycle on the streets of Medina.

Grandpa Varisco came to visit with his step-sister Mary to visit me just after I was born in 1951.

I was really pleased that Grandpa lived long enough to see my son, Jihan, who was born in 1985.

I will always remember his smile.

May he rest in peace.