Victor Baccari

A good man is gone. My Father-in-law, Victor was first generation Italian-American. Born and raised in Salem, Ma. He lived the second half of his life in a much warmer Florida. 

As a child and a young man he developed a life-long affection for sports. His favorite was roller skating. He and his sister thought they were good enough to turn professional.But, then she taught him how to dance and that coursed through him for the rest  of his life. A  ball room dancer, he disdained the modern TV versions, "not the real thing"! Emma (sister),also introduced him to her friend Ruth. The courtship was fast, furious and brief, the marriage lasted until her passing. Vic (Honey) or Brat as sister Queena called him, both teased and taught her. Teased her about her size...not! Taught her how to dance, until the night he introduced her to her new partner, the broom. That was also the same night he met Ruth.

After marriage, Vic and Ruth lived for many years north of Boston until the cold weather was too much. Victor decided to gather his, by then large family and move to Florida. A home, a business (Garden care, another love) and a  family now into the generations kept him motivated. Nothing was more important than Ruth, his girls, son and all the ensuing grandchildren. Every game, event, practice, party or picnic you knew where he would be...surrounded by kids or watching them play.

His life was long, almost 94 years. During  that time he saw merchants delivering ice, coal, bread, produce, oil, etc from horse drawn carts. His household may have started with a Victrola, a crank phone, a console radio, a wood fired stove and a coal fired furnace. All of these modern (at the time) conveniences replaced by; the "I-pad"??? and a better stove.
Tin Lizzie to Hummer. TV. Silent movies in black and white transpired into Cinemascope, color, blu-ray, 3D and DVD capability. Baseball remained a constant. Ty Cobb, Lefty Grove, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Teddy Ballgame...they all played for Vic. 

So did Frank, there was only one Sinatra and he was the only singer! Paragraph, next!

Patience, forgiveness, strength of character, they along with humor are virtues we all cherish and he carried into the world daily. While short of stature his heart was gigantic. He passed the gleam in the eye, the zest for life into the next generations and left us with memories.
Truly, he did it his way.

A good man is gone.