On Sunday, January 27, 2013, my husband took our 16-foot boat out for a quick engine check. Nine days later, his body was found just breaking the river’s surface, tightly wrapped in our boat’s anchor line. He died from a shotgun blast to the side of his head. No arrests were made. No investigation continues.
The Red Cross acted to get our older son home from Afghanistan. Our younger son, in college at the time, returned home to join the marine search for his father. The U.S. Coast Guard searched tirelessly. During this horrific time, many lovely friends and strangers came to assist.
Over the past seven years, both of our children have married. A grandchild was born. Our sons and their wives are excelling. I am so very proud of them. Pat would be too. He would be retired now. He would be the grandpa that he longed to be. Gun violence took him from us and us from him.