My dad showed up. 

He showed up every day to work as a compassionate and intelligent boss, a quietly confident role model, never once taking a sick day.

He showed up every day as a dad, in steadfast love, support, advice and compassion.

He showed up to every soccer game and track meet with a smile, like he wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. He once surprised me and flew from Las Vegas to San Diego for a quick 4-hour trip just to watch me run the 800. I will never forget the feeling of seeing my dad there to cheer me around the track.

He showed up every day as a husband, kissing my mom first thing when he came home from work, being the best teammate and partner for endless parties and bbqs, building a successful life together from humble coupon-cutting beginnings.

He showed up as a handyman, a Jeff of all trades, to help me fix things around our house as a first-time home buyer. Who else but my dad to would be crawling through the attic, cutting a whole in our loft to install air conditioning. Or showing up with the exact tools to perfectly patch a whole in our wall. Don’t know how to fix the toilet handle? I’ve got a dad for that.

He showed up across the world when I needed him most. I called him crying while studying abroad saying that it was hard to be away from home. He called me back saying he’d love to come visit. We traveled around Italy together and then again years later around Australia and New Zealand, never getting sick of each other, sharing beers, hikes, laughs and unforgettable adventures.

He showed up in humility for everyone in the community in big and small ways with his golden heart. Helping a neighbor grab her bible that she dropped in a storm drain, fixing leaks, financially supporting make-a-wish style trips for people in need, and always doing the right thing.

And more than anything, what I will miss most, is that he showed up as himself every day; down to earth, a humble essence, with a keen perspective on what was important in life.  My dad treated everyone he met with respect. He lived out what it means to work hard and did it with the greatest witty sense of humor.

Today, we show up in his honor. We show up as reflections of him, and the kindness he showed us, We show up as the best versions of ourselves. We show up in deep gratitude and with enormous pride for what he gave us.

Dadio: we will always be your biggest fans, your number one babes. Thank you for our memorable conversations spent at 35,000 feet, thank you for grinding up mustard hill by my side, thank you for Sunday morning brekkies, for endless early morning ski runs at Bass Lake and for 31 years of countless more memories.

We are who we are because of you and mom. We will live out the rest of our lives with you in our hearts, forever entwined in our choices, our actions and our character. I love you Dadio.