Originally submitted 21May2010

To the Trombetta family:

I apologize for being unable to pay my respects in person but please accept my deepest condolences regarding the loss of your Father and Grandfather.  I was lucky enough to have known him for many years and during that time I found him to be a good hearted, generous person who put me at ease from the day we first met and continued to treat me with kindness and affection thereafter.  I remember the many times that I would cause him to wake up at oh-dark-30 on a Saturday night as I noisily tumbled into his house, usually in a somewhat less than sober state. However, rather than be annoyed by the intrusion the way other grownups always were, Dick would instead pad his way downstairs in his old bathrobe, happily greet me and offer to make me something to eat.  Being an excellent cook, I would eagerly accept his offer and so there we’d be, hanging out at 4 AM, eating, chatting, and watching old black and white movies on the TV until the sun came up and then he’d shuffle back up to bed and I’d wander home with a full belly.  It sure beat going to the Glenwood diner for French fries and gravy.

Dick was also a generous man, especially with his time.  I remember once complaining to him about some noise my car was making and he immediately got right up from his chair (a chair that had the same iconic significance to me that Archie Bunker’s chair had to “Meathead” on All In The Family) proceeded to pull out his tool box and began tearing into my engine compartment.  A couple hours and a few jerry-rigged reconfigurations later he called me back outside (for I had long since gone inside to watch his TV while he continued working) to proudly point out the problem and explain the solution that he had implemented; meanwhile, back at the service station, my regular mechanic was NOT amused. 

Of far greater significance I knew (but unfortunately never acknowledged) Dick as a man of great courage, a true American hero who was tested to the very outer limits of human endurance during the Korean War and was never found wanting.  I can’t count the number of times that he would turn to me (while sitting in his chair) and relate some small detail about his experience as a front line Marine Corps machine gunner (of whom the average life expectancy while in battle was numbered in minutes) during that terrible and forgotten war.  I also can’t tell you the number of times I would then try to steer the conversation onto some other topic (…”how about those Mets”…).  I now realize what a mistake that disengaging from him on this topic had been and how important those stories actually were, not only to him but for me and especially for my children for it is these family heritage moments that are the true treasures of life and in that respect alone, Dick was a wealthy man.  

In conclusion I know you all will miss him and even though I have only seen him once in the past decade, I will also miss him and, if he can in any way discern my words today I’d just like to tell him with the utmost sincerity: Well done Marine, thank you for your service to our country. Stand at rest, we’ll take it from here.

Again My Condolences on this very sad day:  Jeff Devine

May God bless you and your family in your time of loss.  You are in our prayers.

Your NOAA/STAR Family

Susan, Nancy, Kathy and Amy,

I am so sorry that Uncle Dicky is not with us any more. May he rest in peace and I will be thinking and praying for him and all of you.

Fondly,
Your Cousin Jeff

OBITUARY

Richard J. Trombetta

17 April, 1931 – 19 May, 2010

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