08/09/2026
My dad got blown up in a truck while serving in the Army during the Vietnam War. Not everyone in that truck made it. Dad did, earning a Purple Heart.
I’ve always wondered if that experience shaped the way he lived the rest of his life. Always positive, optimistic, easygoing and remarkably tough.
For the last 10 years, he battled Parkinson’s, linked to his Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. Through shuffling, freezing and losing control of his body, ask Dad how he felt and somehow the answer was still, “I feel great.” 😂
Maybe growing up playing stickball in the streets of Brooklyn had something to do with it. 🤷🏻♀️
Then came cancer. He beat lung cancer once, but this time it returned as Stage 4, which is incurable. Even through chemo, immunotherapy and pneumonia, Dad insisted (at 83) he’d be around to see my daughter graduate high school… in five years. ❤️
Being his health advocate throughout these years, especially this last one, was never a burden. It was an honor. I went to appointments (participating via phone when necessary), talked with doctors, analyzed reports, asked a million questions, cared for him and walked this health journey alongside him. I’m so grateful I did.
Dad was someone everybody liked. Humorous, friendly and always ready to schmooze. A successful multifamily real estate investor for 30+ years, he had a passion for finding deals and analyzing properties. (Hmm…I wonder where I got that from. 😉)
He loved swimming, playing pool, strumming his guitar & shooting cans in the backyard with his ol’ BB gun. Amazingly, he was doing those things until about a month ago, even if it required a wheelchair or some help.
I’ll hold close to my heart our sing-alongs , summer days by the pool, playing catch, traveling. My eclectic taste in music is 100% his fault, and what a gift. 🌟
He created a wonderful legacy for his kids and grandkids, but more importantly, he made time…the best was having Dad coach softball and soccer teams.
And in the end, I think some of his good karma came back to him. No pain. No morphine. He simply slipped away peacefully.
I know my dad loved me, but it will never be as much as I loved him.
I’m gonna miss you, Dad.❤️