My Dad

Daddy and his Girls

Mom and Daddy dancing at Erin's Wedding

Me, My Uncle Oogs, Warren (one of my Dad's BFF), Erin, My Dad and Tristan

A Boy and his Bapa

Daddy's Baby

A Little Monkey named Jack and his Bapa

Mom and Daddy being silly

Today would have been my Dad's 69th birthday. Almost two years have gone by already since that day in June. Not a day goes by where he isn't on my mind. I miss the phone calls. I miss knowing he's there. I miss having someone to talk to about oldies with. I miss that laugh. I miss him.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister and my Mom got together with one of my Dad's friends. Every year for St. Patrick's Day, my Dad would drive down to Savannah, GA as a part of, "The Boys from Boston." In 2000, my Dad had an emergency quadruple bypass. Two months later he was in Savannah with his buddies (he had so many of them.) No one wanted him to go but if he wanted to do something, he did it. Well, they were sitting in a hotel lobby when my Dad says, "I'm going to go for a short walk to the Irish bar over there." The guys insist that they'll go with him to make sure that he's okay. Dad says that he'll be fine. Well, the next thing you know, these big beefy law enforcement guys pick UP the large stuffed chair that my Dad is sitting in and proceed to carry him like a King two blocks until they're stopped by a Georgia police officer who asks them what they're doing. Badges are flashed. Stories are told. The officer laughs and says, "You can walk the rest of the way. Leave the chair in my car and you can get it on your way home."

If you knew my Dad, you'd be laughing your ass off at that story. We never heard it because he never talked about what happened then. I'd get a daily phone call (sometimes more than that) from him telling me he was out having breakfast (now I wonder if breakfast was a Guinness or two) and enjoying the weather.

Here are the t-shirts that they made in memory of their honorary, "Mayor."  

 

These are for you, Daddy:

Dean Martin:


 Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge:


Otis Redding:


Louis Armstrong:


What a wonderful world it was knowing that you were in it. You graced so many lives and left an imprint on so many hearts and minds. We love you and miss you, Daddy.