dad

Papa’s World – My father – gone but not forgotten.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Imagine my surprise when one day-

I happened upon a post on FaceBook –

Asking those of us from my hometown –

If they recognize anyone in the pictures they posted?

Must be they were cleaning out a home –

And came across an album that had many pictures –

But no names associated with them.

Just on a whim —

I clicked on the first one and then another.

They seemed to be back in the 50s –

and I just did not know who they were.

And then the second to last –

a picture of five men holding bowling balls!

I KNEW EVERY ONE OF THEM GROWING UP AND ONE WAS MY FATHER!

Now – I have very few family pictures –

my sister had them all –

And when she passed away –

they all went to my niece.

Boxes of them!

Then – she became ill – brain cancer –

and she hung on but then –

young – she passed away.

Those boxes remained in her home and a person –

who was not part of the family –

To throw them all away-

without asking anyone as far as I know –

If they wanted them!

That was gut-wrenching for me-

as all my family history was in those boxes.

So this picture came as a complete surprise to me!

The first man on the left – Bobby Bradt –

the second man from the left –

my father – Bob Fitzsimmons –

his real name was Clarence Robert Fitzsimmons –

everyone called him Bob or”FITZ”!

Then Don -(who owned the insurance business)

who every year I got a birthday card from him –

as I was born on his birthday!

Then Eddie –

who was the meat cutter in the Market Basket.

And finally – my father’s best friend – ELMER –

who passed away a few years after this picture was taken.

He owned the local dealership of Dodge cars.

My dad was about six feet tall –

and his father made him stay in school –

although he graduated as a Sophomore!

There was no place for him to go-

as that was shortly after the depression.

They were what I was brought up to say “DOWNHOMERS”!

Down in Pa. by Brookville and Corsica.

Grandpa was a teacher –

and taught way into his late 70s and early 80s.

Dad’s mother was a Kennedy –

and he was raised as an Irish Protestant.

She was as I remember very tall –

almost six foot and thin.

I remember going to their home in the coal country down there.

They had an outhouse and a pump in the kitchen sink for water.

One of Dad’s brothers lived next door

and his sister not far away on a huge chicken farm.

My mother also came from that area –

one of eleven boys and girls –

She was next to the youngest.

Her parents –

her mother was Pa. Dutch

and her father was Irish Catholic.

He passed away before I was born-

but my middle name (DAVID) was in his honor.

In this picture here –

my dad was a good left-handed bowler.

And I think they went to Buffalo and won something up there!

He was a supervisor for the South Penn Oil Company –

and when growing up during the summer –

would take me to work with him.

Those were days I will always remember –

riding the bulldozer with “PAT”-

who worked for my day – pulling the tool house behind us.

Dad also golfed with Elmer –

they had a name that they called themselves –

the foursome which included Eddie.

I forget what it was-

but I know after Dad and Elmer passed -it continued.

Dad passed away in 1969 –

a few years after his best friend Elmer.

Their families for years would go way North into Canada –

flying in and landing on water at fishing camps.

There were hundreds of pictures of them in the boxes thrown away.

On the old red barn in the backyard –

they had nailed dozens of muskie and pike heads to the front of the barn.

I knew every one of these men growing up –

My hope is someday in the future –

future generations of the family read my blogs –

Look at the pictures of our life together –

and form memories-

and maybe – just maybe –

ONE OF THEM CARRIES ON THE BLOG POSTS INTO THE FUTURE!

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD –

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA’S WORLD – MY FATHER – GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.

Papa’s World – after sixty two years – I am still a fan – Saint Bonaventure University – BONA’S

/ Tom / Leave a comment

My dad was a big fan of the basketball team at Saint Bonaventure University!

He had season tickets and when they played away games –

He would either listen to them on the radio or go down to SLAVINS!

This was the local town bar he and his close friends would go to have a beer.

Russ and Tootie were the owners and BIG BONA’S FANS also.

Every game the radio would be on and dozens of people would lean close to listen!

To understand the fan base of this basketball team – you first have to know –

this is one of the smallest College Universities in the USA!

If they have over 2000 students -that would be large!

Yet – they are giant killers in Division one basketball!

Have been since the early ’50’s and to the present.

The campus sits in the magical mountains along the Alleghany river –

Just on the town line of OLEAN N.Y. and Alleghany N.Y.

Some 65 miles South of Buffalo.

Yet – they compete on the big stage year in and year out!

To get here – you have to fly into Buffalo and drive the 65 miles through the country and back roads to Olean.

Where you might secure a room in one of the few hotels in the town.

And that is the beginning of your game madness in the Reilly Center – seating some 5200 rabid fans.

Sitting on four sides right on the court!

Mind you – the student body is around 2000 – and the town of Olean on a good day is maybe 12,000.

Yet – while I was young – there was a waiting list for those season tickets.

My father finally got his!

The team has been in that time frame had a high ranking in different years

as Number two or three in the nation!

They have gone to the FINAL FOUR only to lose when they lost their big man –

Buffalo ” BOB LANIER” to a knee injury and out for out for the final game.

Many thoughts throughout the nation – they would of won!

Now – the promise of next year looms before us BONNIE FANS!

PRESEASON POLLS – if they indicate anything at all – has them at the following!

What hurt this year was not the starting five – who all come back – not one senior on the whole team.

Was the bench – not very deep – ( what there was – 3- transferred out)

and when one of there best players twisted his ankle early in the game against SEC LSU –

Well when he returned he was a shadow of himself.

They went on to lose by 11 points!

THE HOPES ARE HIGH FOR NEXT YEAR and that fan base –

from every small town around –

is looking at these preseason polls with hunger in their eyes.

Now the GOOD NEWS!

Early commitments seem to have shored up that bench.

Three have transferred out – hardly playing and could not support that really good starting five.

In their place as of April 13th. FOUR MAJOR RECRUITS ARE COMING!

Two are transfers – who can play right away –

One starting Shooting guard from the ACC – Wake Forest – Quadry Adams – 6′ 4″

One starting power forward from another ACC school – Pitt – Abdoul Karin Coulibaly- 6′ 8″

One high JUCO transfer center

that was recruited by the power five conferences – Oluwasegun Durosinm – 6′ 9″

And a high Canada prep player regarded as a top prospect –

Justin Ndjock Tadjone – a shooting guard listed at 6′ 8″

They still have three scholarships left.

BUT THE CALVARY HAS ARRIVED!

The bench is now there!

My dad -My father would of been so excited – he passed that excitement onto me those 62 years ago!

For years I would bend over close to that same radio and listen to those games –

I would do the same as he did – keeping score with X’S and O’S –

The names of each player written down and the fouls each had.

Yes – I did that and to this day – I watch them on national TV!

We – before we moved South – had those precious season tickets.

The fans right on top of that floor at the Reilly Center –

Rated as one of the most feared and toughest places to play in the entire country!

PAPA’S WORLD livinglifedoingitmyway.blog fitztdf@aol.com

IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE YEARS COME FALL WITH THE BONNIES!

Fasten your seat belt – this little Division one University of some 2000 students and Friars

are gonna take you for a ride – who knows – just how far they will go-

They finished 16 and 5 with no bench – now they have one!

SAINT BONAVENTURE – THE LITTLE SCHOOL WHO COULD ONCE AGAIN SLAY GIANTS!

IT’S HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE and maybe – just maybe the third time is the CHARM!

Papa’s World – laughter – smiling – sharing good vibes

/ Tom / 1 Comment

Many of us out here – struggle with food and added weight –

going on diets – making pledges and looking in the mirror

Well – at least I found one thing on me that fits every year!

Good day everyone – when I started writing –

first on face book and now this blog

livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

I said I would write smiles – laughter – family – friends

and adventures and good thoughts.

I have managed to do it most of the time regardless

of the goings on in the World.

I am a positive person – thinking that most things work themselves out

or in a 24 hour time are forgotten and moved on!

I take after my Mom –

one fellow co-worker after I told them about my mother

said “Now I know where you got the calmness and feisty

attitude from!”

I have always had a quiet sense of humor –

but when around close friends

my inner self comes out!

A few beers and a micro phone

Well – have you ever heard a

“OLD LOVE SICK COON HOUND YOWL”!

Well – that would be me!

Along with the humor and good times

family is important to me and my life.

I have two grown sons

and they live in NWPA

I do not get to see them enough since we moved to NVA

But – they have made me a proud dad.

The oldest can build house – beginning to end

by himself if he had too!

The youngest runs his own energy – insulation company

mainly for the State and power companies.

And I also have two grandsons who live across the country.

Close to us are the grand daughters and grandson

who live nearby.

FAMILY is a important part of my blog. MEMORIES!

My wife – both of us have our own thoughts on love –

country – family and social society.

Each in our own way –

but we both understand each other

and support each other

guarding each others back.

That is what love is to me.

My wife was the first to encourage me to write

as she was the first to encourage me to join face book.

She told me I had to put these writings – memories in a safe place

and she told me that I had too many friends and people

asking her on face book how I was & saying hello.

I am glad I listened – now I have all these friends

and blog posts – that can be read by future generations!

That is why my blog exists – my writings preserved

My memories of my life for our kids to read and see in pictures.

To date I have 259 members to my blog site.

Everytime I blog – they get a email

and what is so great about this

is that it is FREE to subscribe!

You won’t get packages or charges just a email

Thank you for reading Papa’s World

WHERE FRIENDS MEET THE FAMILY!

Just click “LIKE” it is “FREE”!!!