Christopher Peacock has had years to perfect the art of fathering, from raising three kids to working in management.

“I think of myself as not only a father to my own family, but when I give advice to my 120 employees,” said Christopher, who is general manager at the Rosario Resort.

Sitting down with him to talk about his experiences as a dad, I get some insight to his personality.

After briefly mentioning how I used to play the piano, he doesn’t hesitate to say, “Just keep playing, don’t let it die.”

This is the kind of gentle and supportive gesture that paints a picture of what kind of a father Christopher is to his children  and anyone he runs into.

Being a dad came naturally – and suddenly – to Peacock in 1984 in Hawaii when he met and fell in love with Jaylin.

Her son, Kawika, was three years old and Christopher describes him as being “so cute and good” that it was easy for him to move into the step-father role.

“Christopher stepped up and became a role model, a friend, and a father,” Kawika, 32, said. “He was there in hard times to guide me with tough love and in good times to laugh and support me with a pat on the back.”

Christopher and Jaylin married and a few years later they had two children – Jenole, 26, and Cara, 23.

“The role of the father changes as the kids change,” said Christopher now that all his kids are in their mid-twenties and early thirties.

Now Christopher is stepping into new territory – being a grandfather.

“Anyone in the family will tell you that I’m really a child at heart,” said Christopher. “I’m just as goofy as the children running around.”

Recently, Kawika and his wife Meagan have decided to live on the island with their two kids, a one-and-a-half and a four-year-old. Christopher remembers feeling honored when Kawika told him that he couldn’t imagine raising his kids anywhere else. After watching all three of his kids go from kindergarten to high school on Orcas, Christopher says the benefit of having kids in a small school was that it gave them an opportunity to cultivate different interests.

As a musician, Christopher always had music in the house or would take the kids to see shows in Seattle.

“Music is my biggest passion, so I’m extremely thankful that my dad is a musician and supports me in everything I go after,” said Cara. “It’s awesome to hear him play the piano around the house, and some of my fondest memories were going to his concerts off island when we were younger. It was such an adventure every time.”

Peacock’s musical career began as a percussionist in Madison, Wis., where he performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He studied composition and performance in Los Angeles with William Kraft, percussionist and composer in residence with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Now he is the resident pianist at Rosario.

“As a father it has been a thrill to see my kids’ talents and see their talents supercede my own,” he said.

He always wanted to play guitar and sing but never mastered those instruments, and now the girls are strumming the strings and writing songs of their own.

On holidays it’s not uncommon to see the family making music together at the resort.

Balancing professional life and family has been a priority for Christopher, especially in his business that runs seven days a week. All the kids have worked at the resort since they were 14. Jenole now works in management and after graduating from college Cara will work at the resort over the summer.

Jenole describes her father as willing to do any task at work.

“While one minute you will find him on the third floor making executive decisions, the next you will find him, broom in hand, sweeping a floor or hauling furniture,” she said. “He does what needs to be done to support his business and to support his family.”

The Peacocks are a family that works hard together, but all agree that they have fun together as well.

They usually have a quiet Father’s Day, but this year the family will spend June 16 at Cara’s graduation.

Now that all of his kids are becoming independent people, Christopher reflects on being a father and the advice he would give to new parents.

“I heard it over and over again, but it didn’t sink in until now,” he said. “Enjoy every minute because it goes by so fast.”