In Loving Memory

Thank you God for blessing me in this life with a good father that loved me. Dad, my earliest memory in life is being 4yrs old holding your hand walking in the snow. At 5yrs old you took me for my first ride on a Ferris wheel and when we came home that cold night to our house lit with Christmas decorations we sat and sang Frosty The Snowman together along with the radio experiencing the magical joy of a little boy just being with his Daddy. At 6yrs old I awoke once from a nightmare and was so scared I snuck into your bedroom to sleep on the floor next to you because you made me feel safe. At 7yrs old I went to work with you the first of many times through my life we would house paint together. You always liked to get up really early so we would have time for the big breakfast you were always excited to treat me to before work saying; Come on we're burning daylight! which was our favorite line from the John Wayne movie The Cowboys we watched together when I was a kid. At the end of the day I always looked forward to our drive home together from our hard day's work since we could just talk or I could hear your stories about the old days working with grandpa feeling the strongest bond with you at those times. At 17yrs old you took me to enlist in the military and when I came home it meant so much to hear you say how proud you were of me. When I became an adult and wanted to follow my dreams of starting my own business featuring my art you were so supportive and it made me feel good to make you proud of me with the success I had. Once in life when I was in a particularly hard time you gave me encouragement when I needed it most and gave generously of the oddities you liked to collect and of your valuable vintage western clothes for me to sell to help keep me afloat when I felt like I was going to sink. There was no one in this world that could frustrate me as quick as you the many times we mixed like oil & water does but no one I loved more although I did not say it or show it as well as I should have sometimes. Thank you so much for being such a good dedicated hard working father and hero to me always keeping a roof over my head and food in my stomach. All through my life you were always there for me and I'll miss you all the rest of my days that will be much emptier without you. Goodbye Dad, love always your son, Vincent.

 

My Dad was always a fan of the character Mighty Mouse since his childhood and was one of my nicknames for him when he would call hearing the Mighty Mouse theme song as his special ringtone so I did this acrylic painting for him and also this oil painting of my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary.

Dear Father in heaven we are so very grateful for the life of Hank Monaco beloved husband, father, uncle, and friend that You created in this life just for us. He will live on always in our memories and his soul we return to be part of You to live in eternity through Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father he was not perfect as none of us are but he was a good generous man who loved others as himself following your greatest commandment in his heart. Lord we thank You for washing our robes clean in the gift of Your precious blood of salvation so that we can be made 100% pure that we may come home to become one with our Heavenly Father who is and will always remain 100% pure. Heavenly Father we are comforted to know that he is now in Your everlasting loving embrace waiting for us to join him and others we love but see no longer at the wedding feast You have planned for our reunion on the other side of eternity with You. Grant them Your peace, let light perpetual shine upon them, and in Your loving wisdom, hold them in Your perfect rest. We look forward to the day we are all together again in You Heavenly Father. Rest in peace in God's eternal light Dad you'll be missed always till we meet again in everlasting love in Jesus name we pray and give your soul to keep. Amen.

 

 

1996

2013

Stray Cats

24 x 30 inches, Oil on Canvas

Two months to the day Salvador passed away I decided it was finally time to throw away his litter box which was always on my patio. After this I returned to the patio contemplating the now empty space then not more than 10 minutes later I hear "meow". I'm like what the?, so I walk out of my patio and see this beautiful cat on the lawn and "meow" back to him. He ran right to me so happy like he knew me his whole life. Noticing he was declawed and seemed lost I figured he must be an indoor cat that got out so took him in for the night, and got him scanned next day to see if he had any microchip owner info which there was a chip but with no owner info. Doing some detective work I called the manufacturer of the chip who told me they sold it to animal control in Aurora, IL. which I then called. They trace the chip to a woman who adopted him from there in 2009 who I ask them to reach out to saying I found her cat in FL. I never heard back from the woman or animal control so I adopted him.

There's no doubt that God sent me Cheddar with the timing, strange circumstances of how he came to be with me, and how he was the perfect cat for me in so many ways. I never thought I would be able to have the same level of bond I had with Salvador, but the love, bond, and joy I had with Cheddar was equal as a father who loves two children. He turned out to be the perfect friend I needed to help me heal over the lose of Salvador being such a handsome, sweet, and gentle soul just like a living "teddy bear", and will always be grateful to God for that day and another chance to experience such joyful enrichment again in my life for 9 wonderful years with Cheddar. Rest in peace my sweet boy Cheddar I'll miss you so much the rest of this life till we meet again in the next.