Whether it is thanks to the infamous "dad jokes" ricocheted across the dinner table or the sage advice passed alongside the old screwdriver while he helped you change your first flat tire, most will agree: when it comes down to it, what we treasure most is simply Dad being there.
Ryan Topper & Family
Prioritizing Prescence
To say Ryan Topper is likable is a supreme understatement. He is positively beloved. Lovingly equating him to a "golden retriever," wife Gabrielle shares, "He can walk into a room full of strangers and leave with a best friend. We cannot go anywhere without running into someone that knows him."
Truck driver and congenial customer relations guru for Origlio Beverage in Reading, Ryan is genuine to his core and known for routinely going the extra mile. "Integrity is very important," he asserts.
Ryan instills, "Do the right thing even when no one is looking. I try to set a good example, showing (my girls) how to take accountability for your actions."
His reputation of professional exuberance can only be overshadowed by the adoration he holds for his wife and two daughters: Hope, 12 years, and Clara, 21 months.
"I love seeing them grow and learn. I love spending time with them and doing things that make them smile," Ryan professes. "Nothing beats seeing your daughters smile and be happy."
History buff Ryan coaches his eldest daughter’s basketball team and enjoys family trips to Gettysburg, Knoebels and the Poconos. He and "his girls" share an affinity for cheering on the Orioles each season, but walks to the park and the ice cream parlor are just as sweet!
"Ryan started out as a very young dad. When I met him, he made it very clear that he was a dad first, which I have always admired about him," wife Gabrielle reveals. The lovebirds grew up just five miles from one another — she in Wyomissing Hills, he in Shillington — finally meeting online in 2016 and tying the knot two years later. Gabrielle was "immediately smitten. Over the years, he has really grown as a dad, and he has made being a caring and present parent his top priority."
Dad Hard At Work
"Anyone can be a father. To be a dad you have to be a part of your kids’ lives and show them the love and attention they deserve. Spend time with them. Get to know them. Play with them. Do what you need to do in order to make their lives as good as you can," Ryan considers earnestly. "If your goal isn’t to give your kids a better life than you had, you need to reevaluate your priorities. They’re Priority Number One. Don’t let time get away from you. Kids grow up so quick; I remember when Hope was Clara’s age. It feels like just yesterday. Make sure you spend as much time as you can with your kids. You’ll cherish every moment, and so will your kids."
#1 Basketball Coach
"There are so many ways that men show how to be a good dad," considers Gabrielle warmly. "I think being a good dad comes down to love. A good dad creates a foundation of love and compassion that allows his children to thrive around him. I consider myself lucky to have found such a wonderful man who works so hard to give his kids a life full of delightful memories."
Kris Nolt & Family
Like Father Like Son
Self-professed adrenaline junkie and new dad Kris Nolt had no idea just how wild a ride Baby Easton’s early arrival would be, but he would not trade it for a second. "I think Easton's birth was my first out-of-body experience," he shares, reliving last October’s fright.
Complications at 34.5 weeks brought about four fear-filled days of labor and one emergency cesarean birth. The breathless minutes Kris was forced to endure before joining his wife in the operating room were excruciating. That supercharged but familiar moment before his favorite roller coaster would blast him from zero to 72 mph into the stratosphere felt more like a lazy river cruise in comparison. Meeting your child for the first time has the power to eclipse all else.
"When Easton finally arrived, he let out cries like a feral cat. While we both thought we'd cry, we laughed in a moment of huge relief. I was able to cut the umbilical cord as they did their first checks on him. It was a moment of pure joy and relief as they handed him to me to bring to my wife, Katie."
Agreeing on nearly everything, Katie retorts with a feminine sheen that Easton "came out screaming like a kitten! Kris and I just locked eyes and started to laugh with pure relief and joy. Seeing Kris as a dad has made me fall in love with him even more."
It was a moment of PURE JOYand relief as they handed him to me to bring to my wife, Katie."
Currently celebrating eight years of married bliss, the two met in 2007 when paired up in their high school chemistry class. The Bunsen burner was not the only thing heating up. Clashing over whether they even liked the course or not, Kris and Katie quickly discovered a shared appreciation for chemistry of a different kind.
The first in his family to obtain a college degree, Kris now serves as Alvernia University’s executive director of marketing and communications.
"I believe education is the gateway to a better life; (it) allowed me to pursue what I'm passionate about." Kris hopes his son "develops true passions and that he pursues them — perseverance is essential in any part of life. It's how we better ourselves, our family and our community."
Best Buddies
Admittedly still building up his repertoire, Kris commends his own father’s top-tier "dad jokes" while viewing him as "the beacon of stability." Kris resolves to live by the example his own father set forth. "He has always been supportive of me, offering advice — but he let me make my own decisions and taught me the value of hard work and the importance of family."
"I always knew that I wanted to have children and start a family. I've reprioritized my commitments so that I can be there, be a support system to my wife and be present as much as possible."
This Phillies and Flyers super fan may need to trade a few coveted hours of shut-eye to fit in playing his weekly hockey game, but he "wouldn’t have it any other way."
