Our father died on September 7, 2010. While we will never have a complete picture of what happened, below are some of the details from that day.
- The day began like any other. Mom went to work at the Theater Department at Holy Cross. When she left, dad was in the shower. As they’ve done countless mornings, they shared a kiss and said, “I love you.”
- Mid-morning, mom called to share a story from her day with dad. Dad asked her if she would prefer cake or brownies for her next birthday. At the time, dad was aerating the lawn in preparation for the fall. It was, in short, the perfect day to do so.
- A little after noon, dad finished the lawn and brought the rented self-propelled aerator back to the garage. He said, “Hello,” to the neighbors across the street, and generally was having a good day.
- Dad went into the house to get cleaned up. He took a shower, changed his clothes, and returned to the garage shortly after 1:00 (we think) so that he could drive to a 1:30 dentist appointment.
- On his way to the side door of the van (it’s parked so close to the edge of the garage, the only way into the driver’s seat is through the side door), he had (according to the medical examiners) a massive heart attack. Thankfully, it was quick.
He was 68 years old.