Dad,
I don't know where to start except to tell you how much I love you and miss you. Tony said it best- you were a great father with a kind heart and were always there for us, no matter what. We have so many memories of you coaching us in everything and riding to practices, with the entire team, in the back of your truck. In high school I could look in the stands during games and you were ALWAYS there. Sometimes the only parent. So many fun times at your house - riding horses, making a slip n slip into a mud pit that 20 people would fit in, playing wiffle ball and on and on. All the while you sitting on the deck in your big chair laughing and enjoying. So many people describe you as the Gentle Giant or a Big Teddy Bear. You were both of those things until one of us made you mad :) Then it was full on Italian!
You shared so much love with your grandchildren and they all loved their Poppi. My kids adore you and I know you loved sitting in your big chair streaming their college games. They enjoyed coming down to target shoot and of course to get crab cakes after. They are all broken inside knowing they will never see you again. But they know you are looking down on them and expect them to stay on the path they are on. They will make you proud.
As I sit here looking at pictures - there are tears and smiles and laughter. You brought so much to our lives. I have picked the phone up to call you so many times since you have passed. No matter what your voice was always calming and you always had such great advice.
I love you and miss you and wish you were here.
Take care Poppi - I know you are smiling at all of us right now.
Love,
Marisa

DAD,

I want to leave this for you on this page to let everyone know just how special you were to me. I do not think I could tell them in person and make it through it. Just know, I know how very fortunate I am to have had you this long and enjoy all the times we did. I want everyone to know you had the kindest heart of any person ever. My entire childhood I remember being by your side following you everywhere while you called me "Badger", a nick name from one of your favorite John Wayne movies. You coached me in football, baseball and basketball and through High School NEVER missed a game. I will always remember looking up in the stands at Chopticon to find you and know I was good to go that you were watching. I will never forget the first times you took me hunting and got me hooked while I sat beside you on the ground at the base of big oak tree waiting on a deer. The only thing you would say was, "Boy, sit still" in that voice of yours everyone knows. All the laughter we shared going on hunting trips together to SC now for 25 years and as I got older, we switched roles, and my happiness came in watching you have success down there. Rest easy knowing those times together meant everything to me Dad and I have so many good pictures of us together on our trips smiling. Later in life you softened up some and the banter we would have at times made me laugh, as well as anyone round us. How you would always fight and wrestle around with me and my best friend (Philip), picking him up by his hair :) even late into our High School years. I always looked up to your strength and tough love. I will never forget all of our family poker games at Little Rick's house and how you would laugh so much at he and I while we acted the way we did. Looking back, as your son, it warms my heart to know those smiles I gave you were genuine. I could go on about you forever. I want you to know, watching you with all your grandchildren has been touching and they ALL will miss you deeply. The guys in the hunt club for Red Bluff, are gonna miss you I promise you that, from the Gainey family, to the people you met from all over the east coast there. If not for you none of that would have started. Your loving personality gave us a lifetime friend with the owner Jim. That just shows how well loved you are. I Love You Dad, I am missing you more than you will ever know and will see you again one day.