I remember April 5, 2015 vividly. It was Easter Sunday, and my family and I drove to North Jersey to go to a restaurant with my dad's siblings and then spend some time at his youngest brother's house. All my cousins sat at one side of the table, while the adults sat on the other side.
My parents were sitting next my dad's brother, Joseph, and I remember him being so happy that day. He had just beat cancer a year and a half prior, and he was starting to get back to normal again. He was the "scotch" of the family, and he enjoys picking on everyone, but family always came first to him. When we got back to my uncle's house, we were hanging inside for a while. I had a nice conversation with my Uncle Joe, and he told me that I was perfect and how beautiful I was. Looking back, his words mean so much to me now.
On April 6th, 2015, my family's lives changed forever. My Uncle Joe—who we had just saw the day before—was killed in a car accident. He was helping a friend, and he was driving a huge truck when he ejected from his truck and was run over. At the scene, he was talking, and gave the state trooper his wife's cell phone number. He was then airlifted to Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ and rushed into surgery. He coded twice and the doctors were able to save him. After he coded for the third time, the doctors tried to save him, but they unfortunately weren't able to. My favorite uncle died from his injuries.
Some of my dad's siblings—including his brother, who hosted Easter and is the police chief—were at the hospital with my uncle's wife. My Uncle Rich (the police chief) had some information, and they believed the accident wasn't as bad as they thought. My dad was at opening day for the Yankees, and my mom and I were at a doctor's appointment. My dad had called my mom while we were in the waiting room to tell her what had happened. My mom ran out of the room and came back with tears in her eyes. I knew something was wrong, but my mom didn't tell me what.
When we got home, my mom turned to me and said "Uncle Joe got into a really bad car accident and he didn't make it." I immediately started crying and thought it was a sick joke. My favorite uncle, who had beat cancer and who always made me feel special, was gone. He left behind his wife, two sons, and tons of family and friends. We were all in shock, and the one man who loved his family more than anything was tragically taken away. At his funeral, so many people told us stories and their favorite memories with my uncle. It made me feel better to know that he touched so many people's lives and he left a legacy of friendship and love behind.
It's almost been a year since his passing, and I think about my Uncle Joe every single day. I miss him terribly and think about how much he's missed in the past year. He missed my senior prom, my high school graduation, my move-in day, and so many other special events that I'd like him to be at. Uncle Joe—I love and miss you so much. I know you're up in heaven and smiling down and you're so proud of all of us. I'll see you again!
Joseph L. Molinari, October 23, 1955-April 6, 2015
