Damato of the Day Is … “Family Matters”

Twelve hours ago when I rolled into the office I did not expect to find myself sitting on a Delta jet heading for my hometown pecking out a note for the blog.

But that bastard, change, has reared its ugly head once again.

A little after lunchtime today I received the dreaded call that my sister, Michelle “Micky” Fonseca had passed away. I have eight brothers and sisters and, being number two and male, I have always taken it for granted that this day would never come for me. I would surely be the first of the siblings to pass on. And now our sister, Micky, number five, has succumbed to a variety of ailments from which she has suffered for many years.

Why bring all this up in a roofing blog? Several reasons:

Number one, this is a family industry. A family of which I am a part. When one in the family hurts there is always help for the asking. All I ask now is the opportunity to share some of my feelings and a little about the sister whose passing we now mourn. Writing about it changes nothing, but does give me a form of release.

Second, and the “real deal,” is that Micky once played a part in the roofing business. For years she was married to one of my associates in the roofing equipment and roofing material business. As the spouse of a roofing guy, she attended her share of industry events, including a number of NRCA and FRSA conventions. And it was a good thing, because Micky made friends easily. We had no trouble attracting roofing contractors to our trade-show booth when Micky was around.

I suspect more than one of you reading this will remember our Micky.

As I continue this sad journey I leave behind all of my associates who will close ranks and take on the tasks that I will not be around to field. That’s what families do.

For that, and for all the good time I was blessed to share with Micky, I am thankful.