Edwin Bonilla has spent every Father’s Day at Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary ever since his dad passed away in 2015. In fact, he visits his father every two weeks but Sunday had a special, symbolic meaning due to the holiday.
“He was always telling me you got to be there for your family,” he said. “He was my inspiration.”
Knowing that Bonilla was one of many people visiting his dad on Father’s Day, Eternal Valley hosted a Father’s Day Cookout to get some comfort food to the mourning visitors. Curtis Woods, the general manager of Eternal Valley, was happy to be able to offer the barbecue to the visitors for three years now.
“We figured why not do something for the folks visiting dad,” he said.
The barbecue also had a raffle where people could win a grill or four tickets to see The Dodgers.
It made sense for Eternal Valley to host this barbecue due to the large influx of people visiting family in honor of Father’s Day.
One such person was Roberta Torgerson, who comes out every week to visit her husband, William Torgerson, since he passed away in 2015. She says Father’s Day is especially important though.
The Torgersons raised four children together and Roberta emphasized the fact that William was a great father who is sorely missed.
“He had an incredible patience and love for his children,” she said.
Roberta pointed out with pride the flowering peach tree she planted right beside her husband’s grave.
“We have them all in front of our house,” she said.
These fathers are still with their children despite the fact their physical presence has disappeared, as Edwin Bonilla showed. He still has all the memories of his father, and as long as those thoughts remain, his father can never disappear.
