My Dad, for whom I was named, was born on February 25, 1931, in Kearney, NJ. He and my mother married in 1956
and moved to Burbank, CA, where I was born.
Sadly, Dad chose his vices over his family. I never did get to know him well. My sister and I did talk with him by phone during our adult years and even visited on occasion but Dad remained an enigma to us. But there were two things that I did know about him: he was proud of his Purple Heart service as a Marine in the Korean War and he was a rabid New York Giants fan. His wife told me that, when the Giants were on TV, he would don his Giants hat, sit in his favorite chair and he was NOT to be disturbed under any circumstances.
I called Dad early in 2008 to congratulate him on the Giants’ playoff victory that sent them to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Dad passed 10 days before the big game; we buried him with his special hat. I watched the Super Bowl that year, pulling for Dad’s Giants. I’ll never forget that game winning catch by Plaxico Burress. It was like a miracle win crafted just for Dad. (If you missed the big game or would just like to recount the game winning drive that earned the Giants the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 42, click here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ths70-zBdQA. Warning: may not be suitable for Patriot fans!)
Now the 2011-12 NFL season begins. And, in Dad’s honor, I’ll be rooting for the Giants.
Comments(5)