The holidays are that special time of year when we make it a point to celebrate with loved ones.

It’s a time to thank God for all he has provided, to reflect on the good in our lives, and to remember those who are no longer with us.

As we enter into the holidays, I find myself reflecting on my 40-plus-year relationship with my late friend Ron Galosic, who passed away on October 9. His passing has left a void in many of us, but the memories of our time with him will never fade.

We met in the early ‘80s during our Marie Callender’s days and immediately hit it off. Back then, the word of that time was “dude,” and it was how guys addressed each other. “Dude, what’s up?” or “Dude, how’s it goin’?” That’s how we referred to each other from then on. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I called him Ron. We even referred to his older brother Joe as “big dude,” younger brother Randy as “little dude,” and sister Annette as “dudette.” Even when we became fathers, our kids were “little dudes,” and they got a kick out of it.

Ron loved sports, and in particular, baseball. He loved to play it, watch it, and coach it. So, when I signed my kids up to play at the Eastview Little League at the former DiCarlo Bakery site, I wasn’t surprised to see Ron involved. In fact, many of our high school friends were Eastview parents, which made Saturdays feel like a high school reunion. A few years after joining the league, I learned the site was sold to make way for Target. The league was now in desperate need of a place to relocate, so the “Save Eastview” campaign was born.

As incoming 2008 Eastview president, Ron faced the uncertainty of the league’s future. The political environment to relocate the fields was intense, but eventually, the decision was made to relocate to Knoll Hill. I offered Ron my project management experience to create a detailed plan and schedule to build the fields. At his urging, the board created a position for me as the new fields project manager.

Not long after that, Ron said, “Dude, if we miss the start of the season, we will lose the league.” This was a rallying call like no other. Ron was relentless, ruffled some feathers along the way, knew when to drop the hammer to get people moving, and knew when to apologize – all signs of a great leader. He was all about the kids and ensuring they had a place to play the sport he loved, period.

During the 2007 holiday season, Ron, Mario Amalfitano, and I spent countless hours on the fields’ design and schedule. By Christmas Eve, the build was in full swing, and it was time to install the fence posts. We tried to taper in the first base fence line to make watching a game from right field easier. If you ever wondered why the right field fence line appears crooked, now you know. After that, we made the rest of the fence lines straight.

On Christmas Eve 2008, Ron called me from Knoll Hill. “Dude,” he said, “where were you on Christmas Eve in 2007?” I replied, “I was with you building the fields at Knoll Hill.” We made that call to each other for years. Today, the baseball fields at Knoll Hill are the result of Ron’s leadership, the overall collective effort of league volunteers, Councilwoman Janice Hahn, the Port of Los Angeles, and many others who helped along this rough journey.

Ron leaves us a legacy: his family. A family that many of us respect because of the love Ron and his wife Linda had for each other raising their children, Michael, Ronnie, and Annette. May God bless them and Ron’s beautiful mom, Georgia, through this holiday season.

This Christmas Eve, I will make it a point to go to Knoll Hill and remember Ron, our friendship, his passion for baseball, and his passion for the kids of San Pedro. I will look up to heaven and say, “Dude, I miss you.” spt