I just saw this today, brother. I'm sorry. I really am. I know how it feels to lose a close friend like that. But losing a friend you've known for so many years must feel more like losing a family member.
Sorry for your loss, brothers. May God give you peace and strength throughout this difficult time. Lean on your family here if you need us. God Bless you guys.
Bryant and I grew up together, and did some crazy things. Its amazing honestly that neither one of us died sooner than this, from jumping off bridges a hundred and some odd feet in the air, to doing donuts in the lake parking lots, drunk as skunks. We had some crazy times, but memories were made out of these things. Once we both got married and had kids, we kind of grew up and changed our ways, but the memories will always remain. I want to thank each and everyone of you that has expressed sympathy, and sent along thoughts and prayers. I truly understand what a family ThePhins are, and from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate each and every one of you. Best Regards, Mike
Brother Mike try to remember those good times you had together, and smile. He will always be with you bro. May he rest in peace.
The phone rang just as I was posting, and I forgot to mention that there WAS water under the bridges we jumped off of, at Lake Don Pedro. Diving in at Rainbow Pools, near Yosemite. When the phone rang, it was another call about Bryant...The Utah Highway Patrol is reporting to his family that they are pretty sure it was suicide, as they found a gun in the truck, and a bullet hole in him. It totally baffles me, though, that he would do this while driving 75 mph on the freeway. He called his mom just 30 minutes before that and told her that when he got home from Utah, he would be over to see her, and that he loved her. As much as I loved him, this really pisses me off, that he had no regard for his wife and 15 year old daughter and 18 year old son. How do you console them after that. His son is really pissed off at his dad for this.
Brother sometimes in life the pressures become too much, and sadly some good people make decisions that will impact others for the rest of there life. I am really sorry to hear that he took his life brother. If you need to vent shoot me a pm, and if you need be I will give you my phone numbers.
Mike, I know this throws a whole bunch of new emotions into the mix, if you need to vent you can hit me up. I do read those emails.
awwwwwwwwwwwwww man i'm sorry to hear that cal and hero. my thoughts are with both of you and your families 2 kids without dad, tragic
Sorry to hear about your loss guys. My thoughts are with all the families involved and hope they can get through these tought times.
Suicidal people arent in the right mind frame usually, thats about all you can tell them. That and to remember how he lived, not how he died IMO...... Sorry again for your grief bro....you and hero's grief.....
That's absolutely maddening I don't know what caused him to do such a thing but the fact that there was no regard for who else he could have hurt while doing it is insane. Now those kids are not only going to be sad and miss their dad but angry for the way he left them. I can understand and live with an accident. What if he had crossed the median and hit a family going in the other direction?
Sorry Im late to the thread but Id also like to express my deepest sympathy for Cal and Hero and the surviving family members of your friend. I know what it is like to lose a childhood friend and I know the frustration and anger you probably feel at being left behind. Though my friends departed in a different manner (drunk driver and other assorted freak accidents) theres no words that really made me feel any better. It just sucks. Theres no more elegant way to describe it. If theres anything I can do feel free to drop a PM bro; in the meantime Ill keep you guys in my prayers. If you want a really good way to honor your friend you can do what myself and some other friends did for my friend Jeff and start a charity in his name. We helped 20 or 30 less then privileged high schoolers get a college education by simply doing a booze cruise and charging per head with the money going towards the charity. So there was a good reason to go on the cruise (have a good time, drink a few beers, give a nice short speech for what the cruise was about) and the cover charge went to a good cause. In the meantime , those kids each got $500 or $1000 scholarships because of what we did. Maybe you could do something to fund a local awareness program about suicide prevention? Make a difference in someones life so they don't have to experience the same grief youre feeling now
Mike - I'm so sorry I'm late to this thread. God Bless you and your friend and his family. I can't tell you how to feel about what is believed your friend did but I feel horrible that you and his family are going through this, especially at the holiday time of year. If you need anything AT ALL, please feel free to email me at mary@godolphins.us, or call me at 201-256-5357. Anytime man - I mean it. Take care. Mary
wow, I'm so sorry Mike and Steve. This makes it much harder on the survivors, I know. Despite the finest help available, my mother drank herslf to death, and I walked through the door with my best buddy home on Marine boot leave to find her dead on the floor. Two years later, after moving back home to watch over Dad, ( he went on the most self destructive drinking binge I have ever witnessed, but stopped at the move) he decided to move up here ( Stuart from Miama)to be closer to my married sister. Once he had things squared away "in his mind" ( he set me up in a printing business so I could employ my Sis) he shot himself in the head with his service revolver on the anniversery of Mom's death.. I got to find and clean that up too. I do not not think I have ever been so angry and spent probably an hour telling him all about it before I made the call to the Police. Nearly 30 years later, I am still unforgiving of the phone calls he forced me to make to the rest of the family. I do not know if I have any "advice" to offer that would have value, but if you need to speak to someone who "really does" understand, I am here day or night. Funny how emotions are. This subject hasn't emotionally bothered me for twenty years.. yet I just started crying, and I don't really know why. Damn, gettin' soft in my old age. Don't know why I would tell you either, except it is honest, and this subject needs that. My head hurts but my soul is refreshed, I must have needed it.
terrible news... so sorry to hear about it. my thoughts and prayers are with you, your friend, and his family.
Damn guys what a tragic story, suicide hurts those left behind, no-one else. And Marty, my God, bro, my hat off to you for getting through both of those tragic situations.
