Father and child: an irrevocable bond

Father’s Day is this Sunday, so we asked residents to share their stories about how much their dads mean to them.

“My dad is one of my best friends,” Seaford resident Joan Dougherty, 40, said. “When I was little he wrote a song for me called, “Little Girl,” and I danced with him at my wedding to it.”

Dougherty talked about how her dad used to write and play music when she was younger and she said she could never forget that song.

Other fathers also share a passion for music with their children. Nineteen-year-old Seaford resident Lauren Volpe said her dad is the person who inspired her to become a musician.

“I used to always watch him perform when I was growing up and it made me want to be like him and play music and make people happy like he did,” she said. Volpe comes from a musical family and her father usually organizes events for them to play at together.

Like Volpe, others expressed how their fathers helped guide them into the people they’ve become.

“My dad was the man who taught me about the things I love the most: music, nature and science,” said Merrick resident Robert Bogacki, 43.

And some children had different interests than their fathers.

“Me and my sister made him go on the Tower of Terror with us at Disney,” said Alessia Russo, 15, of Seaford, “He screamed louder than anyone else on the ride!”

Her father, Chris Russo, 51, said, “I hate roller coasters. I hate big rides. But I went on for the girls.”

Other dads made similar sacrifices.

“I used to play a game with my sister where we would hide in my basement with the lights off,” said Kimberly Tierney, 20, of Wantagh. “My dad would come down the stairs and try to find us. We always made him play the game barefoot though, so we could hear his feet slap against the basement floor.”

Some children recall their fathers’ quirks.

“He had a thing with his cars,” said Junior Fernandez, 28, of Freeport. “He’d be able to tell if someone was in his car without letting him know just by getting inside and looking around because he kept it so squeaky clean.”

Whether it was playing music, going on amusement park rides or sharing a hobby, everyone spoke about how their dad was, first and foremost, their friend.

“Even though he drives me crazy sometimes, I love him.” Lauren Volpe said, “He’s the most important person in my life.”