My dad

[PattyD22]

As i wasn't a member of this site when this thread started in 2015, I went back last night after the game and happened on this thread.  I read each and every one of the threads and they were all so awesome.  The memories that you posters shared about growing up were very heartfelt and a lot of them struck a chord with my childhood and upbringing.

My father was my best friend, but not always.  I am the oldest of 3 kids, and I am the only boy.  Growing up, my father was a pretty strict man as he was a 3rd generation military man, and affection towards me, as the son, was few and far between.  That's not to say my father didn't love me, it was that he was from an upbringing that men didn't hug other men, nor say "I love you" at all.  It was assumed, I guess.  But boy oh boy did my dad love my sisters.  Outwardly affectionate towards them, hugged them all the time, and had cute little nicknames for them, like "Cupcake" and "Sweetie Pie."  His nickname for me was "Hey" like "Hey, go pick up the dog shit" or "Hey, go mow the yard."

My dad wasn't the greatest athlete, but boy did he know sports.  He grew up in Buffalo, NY, and loved the Buffalo Bills.  For baseball, it was the Cincinnati Reds, the Big Red Machine.  Pete Rose was his idol, and he expected me to play the game of baseball like Pete Rose did.  Pure hustle all the time.  My dad coached me from age 5 to age 15, from little league through American Legion ball, taking a break during high school season.  During high school season, he could always be found with a group of other fathers along the right field line, talking shit about the coaches, and how they could do a much better job than our HS Coach could (kind of like the AW gang).

I was a pretty good baseball player, but I'm not very big.  So when I was in junior high, I started wrestling.  This is a sport my dad knew nothing about, so it killed him to have to sit in the stands and just watch.  As I progressed, I got pretty good.  By the time I was a senior in high school, I was nationally ranked, and this led to a scholarship offer to Cal State, San Luis Obispo.  My dad and I took the trip up and he was over the moon.  All the while, I knew I wasn't going to step foot on that campus as I knew my wrestling days were over after high school.  I lost the fire, and I had other plans.  I wanted to be a Firefighter my whole life, and I wasn't going to spend 4 years chasing a degree that I didn't really want.  When I told my dad this, he lost his collective mind.  We argued all the way home, and he didn't talk to me for 6 months.  He thought that was the dumbest plan ever.  I enrolled at Rio Hondo College and started my journey.

At age 22, I got the job offer I had worked my ass off for and my dad was right there.  From that day forward, my dad and I started a new journey together.  He was so proud that it was like he was a rock groupie.  He hung out with me at work, went on calls with me, and actually thought HE was a firefighter.  He was like our station mascot.

At age 58, my dad started feeling crummy.  At first, it was just a general malaise, but then it progressed.  He called it "flu-like symptoms" but I could tell it was worse.  I could tell because this was a man who didn't miss an Angels home game in 10 years and when the Angels went to the World Series, he told me he couldn't go.  A giant Red Flag was raised right then.  Long story short, he was diagnosed with cancer and it was a years long battle, but he fought like a warrior.  When the cancer eventually spread to his liver in 2018, we knew it was just a matter of time.  He passed away on October 19, 2018.  I know this because my first Grandson was born on October 18th, 2018, the day before he passed.  He never got to see him and that kills me and kills my son.

Reading all your stories was very therapeutic for me.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of my dad.  A song on the radio, a certain smell, or something....I never forget.  We still have our Angel season seats, and we do this (painfully) to carry on his memory.  Thanks for writing your stories down, they were a great read last night.  Enjoy your Dad (and mom) every day.

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by PattyD22

[Don]

@PattyD22 Thanks for sharing man. That was a good read.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Thanks again for bumping this thread. Was hard to go back and read.

Buried my Dad this week. 

7 year battle with cancer. Last few months were rough. Covid was horrible.... couldnt see him all year because he was doing chemo, and didn't want to risk getting him sick.

Brought him home on hospice. That was tough, but had some good laughs w him. Looking back at the pics of that period are... weird. He looks so sick... guess I just got used to it.

Had to wait a month for a funeral. So a shitty month... waiting for it to be over. 

Now that its over, Im relieved. But a new sad... sad that now its "complete". 

Its so weird knowing Ill never talk to him again. Its hard to accept.

Small world... @wopphil 's Dad and mine were friends...

To those reading this who still have your parents, dont ignore them....

And dont ever get lulled into thinking they "caught the cancer early"....

[T.G.]

Very sorry for your loss @ten ocho recon scout.