Day 45

On the one year anniversary of the passing of my Father, the great Robert B. Dery, "Bobby D," I wanted to post my eulogy from his funeral.

In Many ways, the last year of my father’s life was his best year. But then again, everyday was his best day, every year was his best year. That was my father – the eternal optimist. My mom said to me that he was the “glass half full guy” while she was the glass “half-empty woman.” Dad was a family man first and foremost, and it rubbed off on me. Every single day of my life, I have done my best to emulate him and make him proud. He was the ultimate son, father, husband and grandfather. His marriage to my mother will always be the gold standard. 34 years and still in love like they were newlyweds. Les Levine said it best to me – “He was my best friend, and about 20 other guys best friend too.” Nobody, and I mean nobody could light up a room like my father. My friends all loved him like he was one of the crew. A day didn’t go by when my dad was in an email group with my friends talking about the Tribe, Howard Stern, or every bad reality television show he was addicted to at the time. He wasn’t just a father, he was a great friend.

Two years ago, when my beloved Kansas Jayhawks played in the sweet 16 round of the NCAA basketball tournament in Anaheim, CA – I came up with an idea. I had to be there. The games were on a Thursday and Saturday, and there was one person who was chomping at the bit to go with me – my dad. So I flew him out with me to LA. The games were great, but what was greater was the bonding time we had been sorely lacking, because I lived in Chicago in he was in Cleveland. We went to the games, watched Kansas win, then went to a sports bar, drank and ate greasy food – another one of his loves. At the end of the night, we went back to the hotel, where my dad proceeded to snore so loudly, I had to sleep on the floor in the bathroom! 3 nights in a row I did this. I don’t know how my mom did it for all of these years. I wouldn’t change a single solid second of that trip and it will stay with me forever.

My dad was the most generous person I’ve ever known. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for our family and his friends. Whenever Matt and I would come back in town from college – he would always offer to “run through a line” for us – meaning go get some fast food if we were hungry. If there were 2 minutes to go in a football game and the pizza was ready at Geraci’s, off he’d be to go get it. At Browns games at the old stadium, he would leave early, run to the car, and bring it right up to the stadium so we wouldn’t be stuck in traffic. His go to move was having a cop sit in it to get warm and run back into the stadium to see the finish. Nobody drove to and from sporting events better or faster than Bobby D. And to all of you in the crowd who know the story, yes, my dad left the Browns/Jets playoff game early in 86, and I think now he can be officially forgiven.

The aspect of my father I will miss the most is his energy. Seriously, the man knew how to have a good time. Whether it was going to Tribe games, going to his B.N.O group outings with his friends, or his love of roller coasters at Cedar Point, my dad was ready to go. Out trip to Cedar Point for his 60^th birthday was also a moment I will never forget. We often talked about skydiving together one day, much to the chagrin of my mother. He was the world’s oldest kid, and he loved being that way.

To everyone hear today, if you still are lucky enough to have your father in your life, make sure you tell him how much you love him and appreciate the time you have spent with him. I can take solice in knowing I told my father every time I saw him or spoke to him on the phone, that I loved him with all my heart.

When people die, you go to funerals and hear exaggerated stories of how great that particular person was; but not today – everything you hear is true. My father, the great Bobby D, was the genuine article. To me, there will never be a greater man to ever walk this earth.