Finding My Father's Voice

Ann Walker Leigh

Description

Leigh Ann Walker's efforts to learn about her deceased father began in earnest five years ago, but really, the journey started in 1971 when Verlon "Rube" Walker died. He was the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs when he died of leukemia at just 42 years old. Leigh Ann was 3. It was a loss impacting the Walker family, their friends, the Chicago Cubs family and eventually people that Verlon (or "Rube") never even met. But his death was profound for Leigh Ann because he was "daddy" and she barely knew him before he died. The loss of his good night hugs, his voice, and his very presence in her young life touched every aspect of her life. Leigh Ann needed a way to face the loss and the resulting uncertainty of the father she didn't know. Her story chronicles her discoveries and reflections. It is a love story, to be sure, but also a detective story and a journey to the baseball family that called Verlon Walker one of their own. When Leigh Ann talked with her mother, uncles, former baseball players -- including Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins and Billy Williams -- and former batboys and coaches, she learned about her father from the people who knew him best and honored him with the Rube Walker Blood Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Verlon (or "Rube") was kind, smart, self-effacing and devoted to all the loves of his life - baseball, his wife and his daughter. Leigh Ann put the puzzle together of a man who was everything she'd hoped he would be. And while it didn't make her loss any easier all these years later, her journey toward learning about him answered the questions she needed to ask. This is a story for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one and could never find a place for the grief to reside or an answer for the "why?" It offers a way to accept what happened and a realization that, as much as those losses hurt and always will, there is always a way forward.

Sujets

• Béisbol
• Baseball

Informations

• Publié par: Ascend Books
• Date de parution: 01 août 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780998922423
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Who was Verlon “Rube” Walker?

“He was te wit of te Cubs and often te eart. He was te man wo always said te rigt ting at te tense moment…te man wo dased into a free-for-all at Wrigley Field last summer for one reason: to sield rival (Pittsburg Pirates) Manager Danny Murtaug, wo recently ad suffered a eart attack.” —Rick Talley, late award-winning columnist for he Cicago Tribune

“He is as droll as Will Rogers, and almost every day e comes up wit a wisecrack tat elps ease te tension of a long season.” —Ernie Banks,“Mr. Cub,” late Cicago Cubs sortstop and Baseball Hall of Famer “He was a true gentleman, a kind man.” —Fergie Jenkins,Cicago Cubs Pitcer and Baseball Hall of Famer “He was mild-mannered. All te players respected im. Wen e spoke, we listened.” —Billy Williams,Cicago Cubs Outfielder and Baseball Hall of Famer

From th author:

e

girl witout a fater as no ground, no gravity. Se floats A troug life witout tat invisible force olding er feet to te eart. Cascading softly troug te stratospere, twisting gracefully, somersaulting wit wispy glittering elegance like a star. Etereal. A little lost star. If you’re a fater to a daugter let me be clear....witout you, se is lost in te world. You are er gravity. You give er tat section of real estate under er feet. A plot of land to call er own, wic can never be revoked. In your eyes se sees er value. A girl can live witout it – I ave. My life asn’t been sullen and catastropic. It’s just tat life is more peaceful wen you ave ground under your feet and know your wort. As I reflect upon my journey to know my fater, I feel overwelming gratitude for all te people wo ave sared my journey and elped propel me forward. I am ealed by teir stories and blessed by my fater’s legacy as a kind and memorable man. his book is a detailed account of me finding my ground. It is a roadmap of my wort.

Copyrigt © 2017 by Leig Ann Walker ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of tis book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mecanical, including potocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from te publiser. Requests for permission sould be addressed to: Ascend Books, LLC, Attn: Rigts and Permissions Department, 7221 West 79t Street, Suite 206, Overland Park, KS 66204

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: print book 978-0-9989224-0-9 ISBN: e-book 978-0-9989224-1-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017941642

Publiser: Bob Snodgrass Editor: Teresa Bruns Sosinski Publication Coordinator: Heater Pelan Sales and Marketing: Lenny Coen Dust Jacket and Book Design: Rob Peters Cover poto by Barney Sterling

All potos courtesy of te autor unless oterwise indicated. Every reasonable attempt as been made to determine te ownersip of copyrigt.

he goal of Ascend Books is to publis quality works. Wit tat goal in mind, we are proud to offer tis book to our readers. Please notify te publiser of any erroneous credits or omissions, and corrections will be made to subsequent editions/future printings. Please note, owever, tat te story, experiences, and te words are tose of te autors alone. All names, logos, and symbols tat appear in tis book are trademarks of teir individual organizations and institutions. his notice is for te protection of trademark rigts only, and in no way represents te approval or disapproval of te text of tis book by tose organizations or institutions. his book is not an official publication, and is not affiliated wit, endorsed, or licensed by Major League Baseball or he Cicago Cubs. Printed in he United States of America

www.ascendbooks.com

A Baseball Love Story

LeighAnnWalker with Chuck Carlson Foreword by Pat Hughes, Chicago Cubs Radio PlaybyPlay Broadcaster

Contents

Capter 1 Capter 2 Capter 3 Capter 4 Capter 5 Capter 6 Capter 7 Capter 8 Capter 9 Extra Innings

Dedication Foreword by Pat Huges Introduction

Simply,VerlonWalker hose Wo Knew Him Best Wat’s In a Name A Real Love Story Putting he Pieces Togeter An End, and a Beginning A Cance To Help Oters Finding te Way Back A Journey hat Never Ends Make a Legacy List

Editor’s Note Acknowledgements About te Autors Index

9 11 15

21 41 67 81 95 127 141 149 167 189

195 199 203 205

Dedication

dedicate tis book to tose wit grieving earts everywere, I especially my moter.