My dad was a loving, caring, funny man. He was everything to me. He was a Certified Public Accountant by trade all his life. As an only child, most of my values, morals, love of The Phillies and Eagles, humor and traditions came from him. He was my Dad, my best friend, my protector and even helped me to raise my daughters, Angelica and Marina. Being of Italian decent, we were a very close family and were together daily.

Out of nowhere, his doctor noticed his mouth was drooping the beginning of March, 2001. He was sent for a MRI and it showed a mass in his left parietal lobe. His craniotomy was on March 8th and we were told he had 6 to 12 months to live. We were floored. My Dad was never sick and this blew our minds. They could only get a piece of the tumor out and it was a GBM4. Dad chose the 30 radiation treatments and did 1 cycle of chemotherapy. He was in and out of the hospital and rehab often. Dad wanted to be at home, so on July 10th, we took him out of the nursing facility and brought him home.

He had trouble speaking and knowing his family, but for some reason, he knew exactly who I was, would say verbally who I was and I was the last one he spoke to. He slipped into a coma on July 13th and went home to our Lord at 7:35pm on July 14th. The hospice nurse was there and told me his heart stopped beating after I said “My dad is an angel now, isn’t he?”  Dad waited till I got there to leave our world.  He was surrounded by my Mom, whom he was married to for 53 years, me, his cousins and his friends. Since I knew what was coming, I sent my kids out of town for the weekend. He didn’t want their last memories to be of his dying.

The whole thing was a nightmare. I still cry over missing his physical presence, but he continues to show me signs that he is still with me and will always be. It’s 7 years now and it continues to replay in my head, but I’ve learned to look at the world through different eyes and I do indeed see my Dad with me. Rest In Peace Daddy. I will love you FOREVER!!!!!!!

My Dad and my daughters on his birthday.