Sonny doesn’t have to be enlarged now, greater than he was in life, but I wish that he be remembered as a sincere and decent person of true talents and the most genuine nature. He was utterly without guile. He possessed none of the dark cunning of manipulative people. Sonny never wore a policeman’s uniform, or firefighter’s or EMTs. No shield No helmet No gloves. The only uniform that Brian ever wore, was that of a decent man who loved his family and got up every day and went to work. You won’t see Sonny’s picture on the cover of Time or Newsweek or People proclaiming him a hero. Don’t look to see his story broadcast on 60 Minutes or 20/20. Instead, you need to look: In the eyes of his sons who adored him In the heart of his daughter who cherished him In the soul of his wife who loved him In the arms of his family who embraced him To see the HERO that Sonny was to all of us. I am proud to say that Sonny welcomed me into his family Frequently with sarcasm, often with humor, always with compassion. Sonny was always there to share triumph and tragedy, heartbreak and elation From the birth of my children, to the death of my parents Sonny’s quick smile and boundless heart embraced ALL who were around him. He was warm and welcoming. He was caring to the point of emotion. More than the “shirt-off-his-back” kind of guy, he would give you the enthusiasm of his convictions. If he liked you, you had a loyal and devoted friend who might even brag to people who didn’t know you about how terrific you were. If he loved you, he was all that and more: Part bodyguard, part advocate, part follower, part fan. For many years, we had lived on opposite sides of the country and saw each other less and less. And I took to describing him in different ways to friends and acquaintances, but always with one common detail: My brother-in-law has a great, big heart. I thought that summed up civility, kindness … even honor. That was him. Sonny could be generous to a fault and loyal to a point beyond that, but even these ostensible flaws are derived from admirable virtue. This is because his heart held his finest qualities. So he offered his heart first and always and to many. Yes, his heart was big enough for everyone.