Obituary of David Catala

Before I start, I just want to say I’m going to speak about my father in the present tense because even though he has passed that doesn’t mean he isn’t here with us, or he isn’t all the things he was before, and it doesn’t change how much he means to all of us. I can’t stand here and articulate just how important he is to all of use because we all know I would be speaking infinitely. What I will do is stand here and tell you all about how this man has changed my view on all men. As a stepchild he got me to accept him as a father despite me fighting him every step of the way in the beginning. And I’ll admit that at first, I tolerated him, and that tolerance turned into respect and today and for the past 17 years that respect turned into love. And yes, some of the times it was difficult to forgive and to love but that is what David taught me. Seeing him be a father to me and all my siblings and then a grandfather to all my nieces and nephews has made me such a better person. He taught me that I could be strong and cry when I’m hurt, he taught me how to be firm but also nurturing and those are things I do every single day and I think about him. My mother has been there for me my whole life and has taught me haw to be a great mother in the future but David taught me everything is means to be a great father so my kids can have the best of both worlds. I never have to say I feel hurt that my kins will never get to meet their grandfather because I carry what he taught me, and I carry him everywhere I go, and he’s never gone. He will always be David; he will always be my father. By: Tabitha Curcio Hello everyone and thank you all for coming together to celebrate my father’s life. The reason I say so is because, I circumstances were different, my father would be o to the side cracking jokes and trying to get people to laugh. Despite the stern man he could be at time, he was also a kind and compassionate man. I’ve seen him donate his time and resources to those in need. He never judged a person for who they were. He was strong in his convictions and a very proud man. Those who knew him can attest to that. These are morals he instilled in his children and morals we hope to instill in our own children. There was also a goofy side to my father. I will share some stories to show what I mean. One time, when he was starting to get back into fitness, he made a protein shake for himself. Only problem with that was, he didn’t use the proper lid, and it exploded in his face and onto the wall behind him, leaving an outline of his head and chocolate protein shake on the wall. There was another time when he was cleaning his golf clubs over the sink in our kitchen. There was a light that would shock you if you grabbed the wire by the metal and not the rope. With the golf club in one hand, and him using his wet hand to touch the metal art of the lamp, a shock went through his body. It was reminiscent of the cover of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It is going to be very hard not hearing him scream, MAMAZ, whenever I’d facetime him and he saw my daughter Camila. It’s going to be hard not seeing him swimming with his grandkids, watching a movie with Matty telling him not to spoil a movie he’d already seen, telling Jaybelle to stop ordering takeout because it was getting expensive, chasing August around the house, seeing him, Anthony, Joe, Stan, and Jeanette hanging out on the block grilling and sharing beers. Having fun at his job with his Union brothers and sisters as he referred to them and watching grown men ripping into each other all in the name of good fun. But I know we will heal and hold dear the memories he left for us and cherish the time we were blessed to have with him. His family was his world, and he loved us all immensely. God help you if you wronged his family. That was a wrath no one wanted to experience. I’ve never not known my father to be a hardworking man. A conversation he and I had before he passed was about growing up, he would often work so late that I’d only really get to spend time with him on weekends. As a child, I just wanted him to be home more. Come home and watch a movie, play video games, go out and grab a bite to eat. It wasn’t until I was older and had a family of my own that I understood why. It was never because he chose work over his family or just enjoyed being out of the house. He did so because he wanted to make sure he provided properly for his family. Which is something he did from when he started career, all the way until he retired. Let’s be real, the man continued to work despite his cancer diagnosis. If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is. We will all miss him dearly. But I ask everyone here to leave here tonight better people because they knew him and live our lives being good people and doing good. Do well also but do good. There’s a quote that keeps coming to mind thinking of him, which is, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” So, while, we sit here, in pain due to his loss, we can take comfort knowing that’s how much he meant to us. I’ d like to thank his wife; my beautiful and amazing stepmother Olga, who’s been a for this family and has handled everything with grace, as she always does. I’d like to thank you all for coming today and saying one last goodbye to our father and hope you leave here knowing our lives were funnier, more meaningful, and most importantly, loving simply because we had him in our lives. Thank you all. By David Lee Catala