Remembering my baby brother Robert Patrick Surface
December 30, 1972 – March 31, 1989
It was 20 years ago today . . .
and every year on March 31st, it seems like it happened just yesterday!
It was March 31st, 1989 and Robbie was 6’3 1/2″ tall (they expected him to reach between 6’7″ – 6’9″ when full grown) & just 16 1/3 years old when he was killed in a violent accident. He was a passenger sitting behind the driver, 4 boys in the car, driver lost control of the car & Robbie was killed. No alcohol, no drugs, all 4 were seat belted in. It was a 1 car accident on dry pavement, around 10 pm on a clear night. Rob had walked a couple blocks from our house to his very first real job interview & gotten hired as a bus boy! Robbie called my parents & said his buddy David ( who, we later learned, had only had his drivers license for 2 weeks) wanted to pick him up and go for a soda & my folks said “okay, be home by 10″.
On their way home the accident happened in that freak way where 1 wheel went into the gravel on the passenger side & he tried to recover & apparently went out of control. Robbie was thrown from the car. They told us what killed him (blunt head, chest, abdomen trauma) was when the car apparently went end over end, on Robbie. The other 3 boys, including his best friend Ryan Ridder (in the seat next to Rob) were pallbearers.
Please join me in sending my love, prayers & good vibes to my mom Pat, my dad Bob & my sisters Jenny & Stephany & their families.
Robbie's Rainbow by Tracey Surface
On the day of Robbie’s funeral (& during it too) it rained, but it was ok, to us, because Robbie LOVED the rain! So tonight when the skies were wild with colors and crazy clouds & fast moving weather I waited and wondered by the window, hoping for a rainbow . . . for Robbie . . . and lo and behold – a double rainbow over Montrose Harbor which of course I named Robbie‘s Rainbow.
My Aunt Sharon Fuqua wrote some heartfelt poems in 2 of her books, about my cousin Krissy (who was also killed at a young age) and her nephew, my brother Robbie Surface. For info. on Sharon Fuqua (& her books) check out:
http://thepointandshootist.com/photos/2009/03/08/in-times-like-these-sharon-fuqua/
You can buy Sharon Fuqua’s books at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Sharon%20Fuqua
http://www.compassionatefriends.org/ is an organization that helps people who have lost a loved one & they helped us too.
