I first learned about Dad’s cancer just a few days after publishing my 200th consecutive (and last) weekly humor column in September of 2021.

Three months later, Dad died.

It was an especially aggressive cancer presumed to be associated from his exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

Tonight’s special one-time edition is published in Dad’s memory at that same 7:56 PM timeslot (in honor of Andy Rooney) that he so looked forward to while he was alive.

Dad not only read every week’s article, he printed them out and kept time in a giant folder in his desk.

As I told friends and family in a distractedly-making-the-waiter-behind-me-cry moment of Dad’s eulogy: 

“I’ve written a lot but I don’t have the words to describe how empowering it is to have a father who believes in you that much. Who doesn’t try to change you, or doubt you, or tell you what to do.

 A father who sees and appreciates your talents.

That was Dad.

He made life better in such a quiet and affirming way.”

Though I’ve put out some videos and writings on this site since stopping the weekly columns, this is the only email I’ve sent.

That’s partially because I’ve moved away from e-mail marketing, but also in part because I knew that emailing this list meant I’d either have to delete Dad’s email address or risk seeing a bounce-back reminder that he’s no longer with us and I couldn’t summon a big enough sense of purpose to overcome the sadness I knew it would generate.

Thanks to the Wolcott Veterans Advocacy Commission (in Wolcott, CT), I’ve found that purpose by joining the host committee for a Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall that will be in our town May 29th through June 2nd, 2025. You can read more about that here.

Adjacent to the ⅗-sized wall replica will be an exhibit listing hundreds of Connecticut veterans who have since died from illness presumed to Agent Orange exposure, including Dad. We are accepting names to be included on this list until May 10, 2025 by email at [email protected]. 

Our family is using this exhibit as an opportunity to reintroduce our kids to Dad’s memory and continue honoring his life and legacy. 

One of the many ways we’re honoring his legacy is through music, including a banjolele performance I gave at the Woodbury Brewing Company’s open mic last month, which can be seen here: