I had my Irish shirt on the Sunday following ND's victory over Virginia Tech. He was not able to watch the game as he was taken to the hospital during the day of the game. I could barely hear him as he was severely weakened by years of battling Parkinson's. Through his oxygen mask, he mumbled to me and I noticed him glancing at my shirt. On his third try as I moved closer each time thinking; he certainly cannot be asking me about the game at a time like this, the words and question were clear. "Notre Dame, undefeated?" I went into my typical enthusiastic description of any ND victory.
He smiled when I told him "this could be the year!" He passed away the day after the Pitt game. His final week, he did not say a word, eat, and barely moved. They said he could hear, so we had the Pitt game on for him. My brother in laws and I later joked that the game may have sped up his passing. He was a life long Irish fan, but nobody really knew this until our daughter, his first grand child, went to ND. From that point, everyone knew the Irish were his team.
He was a very successful high school football coach, winning a CIF title and breaking 2 of the longest winning streaks in high school football history, twice! He was even a better man. I hope and pray for him, my dad (who was certainly the first one to greet him in heaven to watch the rest of the ND games) and all the ND fans that this is the year. GO IRISH!
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streaks. The first was 46 and the second was in the mid-30s. This was In the 1970s. Pre DeLasalle
When you mentioned he broke the winning streaks record I thought there might be a connection there, which is why I asked. He spoke about the streak a few times when De La Salle was in the news. I ended up playing for Temple City as well, so obviously a number of dust ups with South Pasadena, never St. Francis, although the best man in my wedding went there.
I'm heartened you and your dad shared a love for Notre Dame and football. My father and I hold similar passions. SGV is a good place for that, football games were a huge thing in our town. Godspeed to him and your family.
when were you there? I actually lived in Temple City, but in the cut out section which was Arcadia school district. Man, what a small world.
Wonderful you had such a great relationship with FIL. My wife's dad meant the world to her, and I was very lucky to have had two great old men in my life. You had the same thing, man, are we lucky....
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