Monday, September 22, 2008

Dino's Journey Continues

Mary and I have created a memorial fund in Dino's honor at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. We will be reaching out to people who want to do something positive in Dino’s memory. Over the next year, we will be working together and with all of his friends to decide the best use of the contributions that are made to the fund.

Dino was so many things; a writer, a musician, and more than anything else, a fabulous friend. He loved children and he had his favorite causes. Because his life was cut short by a rare and fast-moving cancer, our dream is to create a memorial that captures Dino's spirit and helps others in ways that would have been meaningful to him.

If you would like to make a tax-deductable donation to the Dino's Journey fund, here's what you can do right now:

- A. (check) Make your check payable to: The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County (with a notation at the bottom that says For Dino's Journey). Send to 2425 Porter Street, Suite 17, Soquel, CA 95073

- B. (credit card) This link will take you to the on-line memorial gift section of the Foundation’s website: http://www.cfscc.org/page18127.cfm. Please put For Dino’s Journey in the Special Instructions box.

The Foundation's phone number is (831) 477-0800.

You can also reach Dick Scoppettone at (831) 588-5614 - send email to dsco7545@att.net or Mary Scoppettone at (831) 345-0304 - send email to mimsy831@yahoo.com.

And . . . Dino’s website, http://www.dinosjourney.com/, is officially up now (put together by Tony Chan). It’s still in basic one-page form because we need to come up with a color scheme, logo, links, and content. If you’ve got any suggestions, please let us know. Should we continue to use the blog to get information out or should we shift over to the website?

With much love//Dick, Mary, Nick & Chris

Sunday, September 21, 2008

SPECIAL NOTE: MORE INFO COMING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS

Hi Everyone - we're still here. I know we've been out of touch for awhile, but we've been working on the Dino's Journey fund and it looks like it's about ready to go. Should have good details this week. Love to all of you.//Dick

Monday, August 25, 2008

Thank you - each and everyone

Wasn't yesterday the best? For those of you who couldn't make it to our Day with Dino, we, all of us, soaked up every bit of our favorite son, brother and friend. And to all who were there, your presence carried us through what, for maybe another family, may have been a real tide of grief.

Instead, the opportunity to meet and touch and talk with all of you left us with the best of memories, and I know our boy was truly pleased with an event so rightfully in his honor.

I've been responding to a few e-mails today - obviously I'm taking it easy, but I wanted to mention something that's brewing amongst us family members. It feels like there may be more to Dino's Journey - I really don't know exactly what, but it seems like there's something else hanging out there - some kind of very focused intention. Stay in touch with me, would you, particularly if you've got some ideas.

As always, all our love to you.//Dick, Mary, MiMi, Nick & Amber, Chris & Virginia and Theresa and family

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Special Tribute to Dino on KSCO AM1080

There will be a special two-hour radio tribute to Dino this Saturday, August 23 on KSCO AM1080. The live program airs from 10AM to 12N and they'll be taking your calls.

If you live out of the Santa Cruz area, you can listen to the show on your computer by connecting to the live stream at http://ksco.com/ksco.m3u.

To call in to the program from anywhere, dial (831) 479-1080.

Michael Zwerling, the station owner has known Dino for many years as Dino did a numbers of radio shows from there (like calling in reports from the winter Olympics in Albertville, France).

On the e-mail front, we're approaching 250 and they just keep coming. You know I promised to respond to all of them, but I'm realizing now that it won't be before Sunday - so please forgive. I think the memorial is going to be quite amazing. Hope you can make it. Love to all.//Dick

The Celebration after the Celebration

As part of getting ready for Dino's memorial on Sunday, I wanted to let you know that we're going to be having a feast after the memorial at Peachwood's which is near the Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz - and you know that you're all invited. It will give us a chance to talk to so many of you that have responded to Dino's blog. My e-mails just topped 200 this morning and the stories are absolutely priceless.

We'll have an open mike there, so if you want to ramble at some length about our boy, you'll have the floor. Also, Marjorie Puruganan, one of Dean's co-workers at Sega is putting together a slide show. If you've got any pics you want to submit, e-mail them to Marj at marjorie.puruganan@gmail.com.

Getting to Peachwood's is easy - it's very near the Hwy 1/Hwy 17 interchange (we call it the Fishhook) and there will be maps at Pacific Gardens Chapel to assist everyone in getting there. Since the memorial's at 2PM, we should be heading over there by 3 or 3:30. Here's the address:

Peachwood's Steakhouse
555 Highway 17
Santa Cruz, CA
(831) 426-6333

Looking forward to our meeting. Love//Dick

PS: Dino's obituary was published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel today. If you'd like to read it and add a remembrance, go to www.santacruzsentinel.com.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Hope You Can Make It To Dino's Memorial

I'm just beginning to read all the e-mails you are sending (over 120 so far) and it will take awhile to respond, but I will, to each and every one of you. Such loving thoughts coming in from all of Dino's wonderful friends.

We picked the date for Dino's memorial: this coming Sunday, August 24 at 2PM in Santa Cruz. Here's the location:

Benito & Azzaro
Pacific Gardens Chapel
1050 Cayuga Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 423-5721 - Vince Azzaro

We sure hope you can make it. Afterwards, (we haven't picked the location yet, but it will be close by) we'll have a celebration, one that Dino will be most excited about. I'll tell you more as it comes together. (Any ideas, let me know.) Thanks for being there for us.

We love you,
Dick (Dino's dad) and MiMi (his step-mom or bonus mom) Scoppettone
Mary (Dino's mom) Scoppettone
Nick (Dino's brother) Scoppettone and his fiance, Amber
Chris (Dino's step-brother) Petrakis and his girl, Virginia

Monday, August 18, 2008

I'll Know What To Say

My son, Dino passed away this evening a little after 8PM. My heart hurts to say it and I know yours hurts to hear it. But this was Dino's Journey. Over the months, on those nights when I thought about losing him, I stayed away from it by insisting on focusing on the present. For most of my life, I've been something of a rehearsed man, often planning things months in advance. No more. I told myself that I will know what to say if this day ever comes, and now this day is here.

My son was a beautiful man who belonged to all who knew him. No loner was he, but rather a blend of everyone he met and loved, interwoven with his buddies and their children and their parents and his workmates. Though he didn't raise a family of his own, he belonged to many families, and over the past weeks and months, we've had the privilege to meet them, all wonderful people.

When I finished a novel some years ago, he read it, and re-read it, and re-read it again, each time adding a missing comma or suggesting another way to punch up a phrase. And each time I trusted him. He and I spoke the same language.

When it came time for him to move on tonight, his mother, Mary was rubbing his hair, and around his bed, everyone touched him gently; my wife, MiMi; my son, Nick with his fiance, Amber; Dean's stepbrother, Chris and his girl Virginia; and his good friend, Andrew McGraw. Moments after he passed, Carlos arrived, as well as Dino's special friend, Andi who had flown from Seattle.

Over the months, as we saw all the responses to his blogs, it became apparent that there were many people we had never met. Can I ask a favor of all of you? We really need to touch you, whether truly hand in hand or by e-mail. Here's my e-mail address: dsco7545@comcast.net. If you knew my son or read his blog, would you e-mail me and tell me your thoughts? This journey of the last three months wasn't done alone, it was done with all of you.

I will let you know of the funeral arrangements as soon as I know. For sure, the gathering will be in Santa Cruz. Hold us in your hearts. We love you all. And my boy continues on the grandest journey of them all.