Peter Dirk VanWieren

His life after baseball was filled with love for his family.

My dad, Pete VanWieren, former broadcaster of the Atlanta Braves for 33 years, passed away over the weekend at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer. Over the last few days, numerous articles have been written about his career, and they have touched on his love for his family, especially his grandchildren.

Dad loved his family deeply. It was always challenging to balance life as a professional broadcaster and life as a husband, father, and eventually grandfather.

At home, Dad and my mom, Elaine, were able to enjoy 50 years of marriage together. Mom took care of the home and my brother and I, and she allowed dad to pursue and live out his dream. After retiring, they took numerous trips together, including trips to Belgium, the Mediterranean, and multiple times to Las Vegas, where Dad more than enjoyed playing the slots and competing in Texas Hold Em’ tournaments.

He spent most of his time at home reading from his incredibly vast library of best sellers, which varied from fiction to cook books, and magazines and newspapers, of which he had multiple rooms full of historical publications, stacked in very specific ways. Not surprisingly, he kept meticulous notes of the authors he read, taking notes in notebooks, using codes that nobody could decipher.

But he did do what a typical father would do - took us to Six Flags, went bowling, and enjoyed rounds of miniature golf and real golf. He played catch in the backyard with us, even as late as 2009, when he practiced with me, his youngest son, to make sure he could get the ball to home plate on opening day for the first pitch that he was asked to deliver. As my brother and I got older, we would join him in Spring Training, where we enjoyed cocktails, talking about life, and of course baseball, which we all loved.

Dad’s love of numbers was passed down to his both my brother and I, as we both love to work with data, and not just baseball data. We both earned degrees focused on numbers in some way, with my older brother, Jon, earning a degree in Finance, and myself earning a degree in Statistics. We were both crunching baseball numbers and inventing baseball simulation games long before either of us were 10 years old.

Dad also loved music, often listening to it loudly late at night after a big victory and a few Heinekens. Usually it was rock and roll or country, with special love for The Beach Boys, Electric Light Orchestra, and The Eagles. I also followed his musical prowess, by becoming a drummer, something I’m still doing today. Dad always said that if he hadn’t become a broadcaster, he would have wanted to be a musician.

When my brother and I got married, Dad treated the new in-laws like queens. My wife, Starla, was the first one welcomed to the family, and she enjoyed trips with her father-in-law and family to Las Vegas and, of course, Spring Training in Florida. Dad loved her like a daughter, always there to provide guidance on whatever she needed.

Then the grandchildren were born. The first was Chaney, now 16. Dad and long-time partner, Skip Caray, were in a little race to see who would be a grandpa first, with Caray winning by a single day. Dad spent countless hours with Chaney, reading to her when she was little, taking her to carnivals, the movies, and the mall, and watching her perform in talent shows. He also shared the struggles of back surgery and cancer with her, of which she has fully recovered. In one speech he delivered for the American Cancer Society, he even called her his “hero”.

With his middle granddaughter, Gracie, now 13, he also spent countless hours, whether it be the traditional annual carving of the Halloween pumpkins or reading of “Twas The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas eve, playing with Barbie’s and Beanie Baby dolls, or most importantly to him, travelling all over the southeast to watch her play soccer, probably over 100 games. He would proudly wear his #19 hat that they gave him for Christmas on the sidelines, and cheer her and her team on. He also kept stats on the girls that scored the goals, as well as the win-loss records.

By the time his final granddaughter, Becca, now 5, was born, he had retired from being a broadcaster. He would babysit her, reading books, watching movies, building with Lego’s and Lincoln Logs, pushing her in her stroller at Disney World or the mall, and eating ice cream cones, cookies, and popcycles. Even though his health was deteriorating, he never missed a chance to spend with her.

In November 2009, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and the type he had was referred to as a “nuisance cancer”, one that could be controlled with medications, a little chemo, and occasional radiation. For the most part, he was able to enjoy his retired life, making his daily trip to the book store to purchase whatever was next to buy, or to the liquor store, where he tried various beers from all over the world.

In April 2014, the cancer got more aggressive though, and his ability to walk deteriorated quickly. He still made every effort to continue his routine, but his last days were spent more often in doctor’s offices than at the places he would prefer to be. The cancer that he was diagnosed with was very aggressive, and his health quickly changed.

On June 13, 2014, Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th anniversary together. Dad chartered a private plane and flew the whole crew down to the Bahamas for a few days. On the 13th, we enjoyed a wonderful day at Atlantis, reminiscing at dinner about how Mom and Dad met and their favorite memories together. That night, Dad jumped on his electric scooter, since he was no longer able to walk, and played the slots and Blackjack for the final time alongside his sons, with all of us coming out ahead at the end of the evening. This was his last really good day.

In his final days, we were by his side, saying our goodbyes in different ways. Jon had the unfortunate task of being there for his final breath, and he had to make the unpleasant phone calls to me and my mother. What followed was the difficult task of coordinating the publication on social media and with the Braves, none of which any of us wanted to deal, but knew was necessary.

In the immediate days that followed, there was a continuous recollection of how great a man Dad was. He lived a tremendous life, one of which many would dream to live. He lived life to the fullest. But he was more than a broadcaster.