Albert Rene Frattino

On this day, 4 years ago, my father passed away.

It has been the most traumatic thing to occur in my life, as it would be in most peoples. Albert Frattino, was a very caring and devoted family man. He had a boisterous voice,  a pleasant demeanor and a friendly nature. Most people who met him instantly fell in love with him and he was often considered to be like a second father to some of my closest friends. Rarely a time goes by that a friend of mine won't mention some story that involved them with my dad, always a fond memory that people love to share.

I would be lying if I said my father and I were thick as thieves. Often we butted heads over even the simplest of things. There were at times I even resented my father, even becoming jealous of him. My father had a knack for making me look ridiculous in front of my friends, teasing me or making a joke at my expense. He always did it with a good spirit and never belittled me. 

My father, is in many ways responsible for who I am today. If not for him I would never have gone to SCAD, and my pursuit in the paranormal field would not have increased. Infact, the story of my father's passing and me going to SCAD could be considered paranormal in a way...

My father was a chef and my mother was a first grade teacher. Money was always tight and definitely not loose enough to afford a school with tuition fees as high as $35,000 a year.  When my mom and dad took me to Savannah to look at the college I was sort of limbo on what I wanted to do with my life. After we saw the college, I was certain I wanted to go to SCAD.  The day I was accepted was both a celebration and a sober reminder...that money was now the only issue.

Before my dad's abrupt passing he told me "No matter what, I will get you to that school."

At my father's memorial service people  kept saying "miracles will happen!" or " don't worry...your father's looking after you." It's nice words, but it was hallow at the same time. Who were these people to assume they knew my future? I tried everything though, scholarship after scholarship...I pushed on. 

It came to a point though, that I could no longer push forward, and so I decided I would give up the hunt for tuition, but I tried at the advice of my enrollment manager to make one final scholarship push, the SOS Scholarship. All I needed to do was write an essay as to why I wanted to go to SCAD. 

So I wrote of my father, and how much he meant to me, and how much this school was where he wanted me to go. I turned in the essay and decided to move on with my life expecting nothing to come of the scholarship.

A few weeks later...I was awarded a full tuition scholarship.

Now whether you believe in the paranormal or not, you can't say that my father didn't have a hand in my future right there and then. I am who I am, I am WHERE I am...because of Chef Albert Frattino, a man, a hero, a father.

So like the Flagler's Few movie before, I will dedicate this book to the memory of my dad.  If ever I had a ghost or angel looking over me...I'm sure glad it would be him.