Friday, October 14, 2011

1950 Bowman #119 Dick Sisler

My Dad passed away this morning after a very lengthy illness.  He was one of the good guys.

I was blessed to have had a father who did not let a day go by without telling me that he loved me or that he was proud of me.  And he was blessed to have had such a loving family and many, many wonderful and caring friends.

* * *

When I started this blog a few years ago, my very first reader and frequent commenter was my Dad.  He would start his day by reading whatever I had posted the night before and then he'd call me at work to talk about what I had written or what the Phillies were doing or just to get an update on his grandson, Doug.  The blog was an additional means of connecting with my Dad as I re-told stories via my earliest posts about collecting the 1956 Topps set with him or attending baseball card shows with him.

I spent some time this afternoon going back and reading some of his earlier comments.  My Father's Day tribute to him from a few years ago sums up my gratitude and it's still one of my favorite all-time posts.

* * *

We spent close to every waking hour by his side over the past three weeks.  A few nights ago, while he was sound asleep, I headed over to eBay and clicked Buy It Now on the card featured here.  Dick Sisler was one of my Dad's favorite Phillies (along with Del Ennis) and it felt good to purchase this card in the presence of my Dad.  It's fitting the card arrived in our mail this afternoon.

You were a good man, sir.  And you'll be missed. 

September 27, 2003 - Veterans Stadium

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry for your loss - but great post. Baseball and Dad's go together.

Dhoff said...

Great post, man. Fantastic card and what a fantastic dad. This is a great way to remember him.

Matt Runyon said...

I'm sorry that you lost your father. He must have been a great guy. I'm sure you will cherish the memories forever.

night owl said...

I'm so sorry. He sounds like a great man.

Section 36 said...

I'm so sorry. Your post and purchase were a wonderful tribute.

deal said...

Sorry to hear about your loss. I have always enjoyed reading your postings that have family connections and memories of Phils teams past. And that photo w/ your father and yourself at the Vet is a great one to have in the collection.

Matthew Glidden said...

Thanks for writing up your remembrances and sorry to hear that he's passed.

Jenna said...

A fitting tribute to a wonderful man.

Jim said...

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate it.

Dan said...

Jim, sorry to read this. Condolences to you and your family. Continue to cherish those memories.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your loss. My condolences to you and your family.