Letters: Remembering Our Dad, Steve Roche and his Love for Gloucester City | cnbnews.net
Monday, January 23, 2012
Stephen Roche with his children, Chris & Katie enjoying a slice of pizza on Broadway in 1996.
My dad loved to take us to Cabana Water Ice, Duffy's [I return at least twice a year for their fresh irish potatoes] the offices of The Gloucester City News (when he was employed there), and stores like the RxD Pharmacy [I'll always remember Al Zeises for his kindness] & McGroarty's News [which is where you'll find the best hoagies]. We'd go on walks down to the river where he'd tell us about Gloucester City's & Camden's amazing history.
My dad passed away in December of 2010 and he's buried in the cemetery he helped to restore; Union Cemetery on Powell St. [We have a photo of us in front of the iron gates days after they were installed....I just have to locate it.]
I have a ritual when I come up to visit my dad...
I head right to Gloucester City Discount Liquor [across from the post office], buy a $5 bottle of my dad's favorite Jack Daniels, then I go straight down Broadway and make the left onto Powell [past his old apartment].
I always pour my dad the first shot, take a swig of my own, then pour
out the rest for him.
out the rest for him.
My dad loved Gloucester City & he passed on that love to me and my big brother. When we exit off of 42 North and make the left toward Rt 130, it's done on auto pilot. We don't have to check street names. We just know we're home.
~Katie Roche~