Kelsey

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share that my father, Anthony Cardace, passed away Saturday.

I feel unbelievable peace knowing I was able to spend his final days with him. His health had declined in recent years and it was hard being in SD knowing his days were numbered, but I took a flight home Wednesday night and spent time with him Thursday and Friday. He didn’t have much strength to talk but the words I did understand from him clearly were “I love you.” He was himself until the end, rolling his eyes at his family and asking a nurse for a water cup 2/3 full (because God forbid she brought a full cup). His nurse told me he said he was so glad I was there. We visited him Saturday and he was asleep, looking so peaceful. We didn’t disturb him, letting him get the rest he had so desperately needed. We’d like to believe that when he passed a few hours later, he was still peacefully asleep.

My dad was a brilliant, intelligent, insanely outgoing man. He was an Air Force veteran, had a master’s degree in Russian, was a HCPSS substitute teacher in his retirement, and was the cornerstone of his trivia team. He loved my sister and me more than anything in the world. He was so proud of us, always bragging about our accomplishments. I most recently recall him telling his nurses that I was a surfer (idk about that 🙃) and he asked me my official job title, which is a mouthful, and would always repeat it back to me when I saw him and tell me to keep up the good work.

Despite having all of this, he struggled for as long as I can remember with depression and bipolar disorder. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about mental illness, it’s that it knows no bounds. My passion for promoting mental health awareness comes from my experiences with him over the years as well as my own diagnosis, promising myself I wouldn’t end up like that.

So while my family appreciates condolences however you like to show them, please consider donating in dad’s name to @active_minds to promote mental health awareness (link in bio).

Rest in peace, Daddy, I love you forever and ever and I’ll be carrying that with me until we’re together again ❤️