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Hi John,
This week would have been my father’s 97th birthday — though his birthday fell on Leap Day, so technically he would be 24.25 this year.
I want to take this moment to honor my greatest role model — Ed Schiff, aka “Boca Eddie.” He passed away last year, and I’ve missed him a lot since.
Nothing would have made me happier than for him to be there when I was sworn into the Senate.
He taught me so many lessons while growing up. A proud veteran who left high school early to join the army at the end of WWII, he taught his two sons to respect those in uniform and to love our country.
As kids, we moved around a lot for his work — from Massachusetts to Arizona, eventually ending up in the Bay Area when I was eleven. Through it all, my parents worked hard to make sure my brother Dan and I had good neighborhoods to live in and good public schools to attend.
Even when times were tough — and there were times he said we all needed to tighten our belts — he made sure we gave back to others in our community.
You see, public service and giving back were important values in our household.
My parents believed in doing good for your community, being compassionate to everyone, and extending a helping hand to anyone needing one.
Those lessons have resonated with me in my work to this day. They have led me to pursue criminal justice reform, to make housing the homeless a top priority, to attack discrimination head-on, and to ensure the rule of law is applied justly.
I am who I am today because of my parents, and I’d like to think he’s proud of me. Just like I’m so, so proud of my children and the paths and lives that they’ve chosen for themselves.
Last year on the campaign trail, I asked for folks to sign a birthday card for Boca Eddie — and hundreds of you responded. He loved reading your kind words and messages of support.
This year, as my family and I honor his memory, I’m grateful to have your support and know that you got to learn a bit from my father, too.
May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you,
Adam
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