Memories of Our Father, MICHAEL LANDON

HIS CHILDREN SHARE MEMORIES OF THEIR WISE, STRICT AND FUNNY DAD

- Susan Hornik

Michael Landon had a way making of even a trip to the grocery store special.

"I remember him putting me on his shoulders as he sang through the aisles," recalls daughter Shawna Landon to Closer. "I was so embarrassed but laughing the whole time. My father could make you laugh no matter what."

The actor, who became a star on Bonanza and created the beloved television series Little House on the Prairie, would have been 88 this fall. "He is always in my daily thoughts," another daughter, Leslie Landon Matthews, tells Closer. "He was a very smart, very giving father. And he had such a brilliant sense of humor."

As a dad, Michael was playful and affectionate but also strict with his nine children. "He would always tell me that as long as I told the truth, no matter what I did, he wouldn't be angry," says Shawna. "Disappointed, yes, but he wouldn't tolerate lying. He felt that integrity was such an important asset to have."