Most know him as Bill or Beef, but to me he was Dad. He died peacefully on Tuesday October 24th, 2023 with Rhonda by his side.

Dad and I connected on many things as fathers and sons do, but I think that I’ll hold this lesson closest. Everyone Has a Purpose.

My first Ohio State football game was in 1996. I had been to plenty of football games before as we were Bengals season ticket holders, but I remember bugging him about going to Ohio Stadium. Dad got tickets to the Buckeyes season opening game against Rice. Everything went right that day for the scarlet and grey, so it was nice to take in the whole experience. At halftime as the band was performing, my dad took the time single out a few different people.

“See that popcorn vendor?”
“Yep”
“OK, now see those cheerleaders”
“YEA!”
“Now see all the fans, the tv teams, the security teams?”
“Yea, Dad. I see them”
“Without ALL these people. It’s just a football game. All these people matter.”

Everyone matters, everyone has a purpose. And that purpose is larger than ourselves. That’s an easy lesson to learn at an event like that, but a harder idea to grasp in the grind of everyday life.

Instead of flowers or donations to a charity, I ask that you take the time to make someone feel valued, important, and that they have a purpose that is greater than themselves. We all matter.