Interviews of friends and family filmed by Fruncle Wes Pope
Giacomo’s Celebration of life
Celebration of Life for Giacomo Torcaso – October 16, 2021
Friends and family joined us for a celebration of all things Giacomo. We had his favorite music, food, and beverages, and we’d love to have as many of his favorite people there, too!
Baseball
Baseball… What a game.
It brings people together, it makes friends out of competitors, it makes us smile, it makes us sad.
Knowing Giacomo’s love of the game is something that will always be with me.
Having been a part of his baseball experience as a coach and a father of a friend/teammate, it was awesome to be able to watch his joy and enthusiasm when he was on the field. Even if he striked out, missed a fly ball or was high fiving his teammates in the dugout, the smile that would be on his face was infectious.
Giacomo’s enthusiasm and tenacity was something that we should all strive for.
I am happy to have been able to spend time with with him and happy that my son got to be in his life.
We are better for having had the experience.
–Lawrence Jobe
It was a real treat to coach and watch Giacomo play for a number of years. Solid little human being, and fantastic teammate.
– Coach Dave
We called him G-man
My son Shea and Giacomo grew up 10 months apart which is ironic because that’s just about how far apart Mary and I are in age and we have watched each other grow up, just as we were watching our son’s grow up. Mary & I were both late starters into motherhood and both had only one son, that we cherished every wonderful moment with. I was lucky enough to share in some of those wonderful moments with Giacomo. When our son’s were young we would get them together a few times a year to play, and do fun things with them. We took them to the zoo, picked pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, and let them run on playgrounds. We had sleepovers, and before bed, we would bath them, taking pictures so we could later tease them when they were in high school about how adorable they both were. When Giacomo and Shea were really young, my son Shea could not say Giacamo, so he would call him Mo Mo, but he also called his Elmo, Mo Mo, so we had to come up with a way to distinguish the two, especially when Shea would stay the night and take his Mo Mo to Gaicamo’s house and so this is where Giacomo got his nickname we always had for him and that was G or G-man which my son later asked me how did G-man get such a cool name? Its like a super hero. I had to explain to Shea that was not his real name but you could not say his real name when you were really little so that was the name we gave him, he then decided he too wanted to have a superhero name like Giacomo. I always said Giacomo’s superpower was his love of life, he loved life and everyone in it, and isn’t that a superpower we all would like to have. He had one other superpower and that was his trademark smile, when Giacomo would smile at you, you wanted to give him the world, and I think this is why his parents Mary and Jeff did just that. I always wanted to tell him it was working, look at the amazing life Giacomo lived in his short time on this earth. He got to see the world and took his superpower with him where ever he went……that Smile and his love of life. I always looked forward to that smile at our annual lunches at the Rainforest cafe as Giacomo was growing up, he was changing fast, but that smile remained the same. When I think of Giacomo now, I remember not only the love we had for him, but the love he always gave, and especially the love he had for both of his parents Mary and Jeff…… and of course I’ll always see that smile. As I sit here wishing (as we all do) that we could watch Giacomo grow into the wonderful, handsome, loving man we all knew he was always going to be, I’ll take the consolation prize of thinking he is smiling down on all of us, with his big heart that was filled with love, the love he not only got from his parents Mary & Jeff, but from all of us.
It really was your super power G-man because the love you gave, and that trademark smile is left imprinted on our hearts forever.
Forever remembering you…….
Carrie Silveria-Kirby
A Little More Love
Lately Giacomo has been popping up in my head more often then before. I think because of quarantine and school my emotions have been a blur, but now I have more time to process. I thought with time the feelings would dull and become less painful, but I noticed that even within months my mind has grown, and there’s more room for feelings and deeper thoughts.
There is no way to say this in a way that someone hasn’t already. Giacomo was a special human. And not in a weird way like the word special is used most of the time, though his goofiness was definitely a key personality trait. He was kinder, more thoughtful, more deep than anyone I had met before, and yet he could make light out of sad conversation without ruining it. He made me laugh and instantly trust him with all of my secrets, and he was so easy to talk to. He was friends with everyone, but had a close circle of friends that he never let go of.
When trying to describe him to others that never knew him, I struggle. Most people tend to talk about the good things when someone dies, and there is no exception with Giacomo. Except that Giacomo was better than most people, so when describing him, you can’t stress it enough.
But sometimes I forget that Giacomo was a typical teenage boy. He loved his X-box and soda and making edgy jokes and he didn’t like to do homework and I love him for that.
But I think my favorite thing about him was his un embarrassment to show love. He loved his parents and his dog and his friends and his cousins and his jaritos and thats a personality trait I think we could all use a little more of. Because love shouldn’t be a thing we’re embarrassed of showing.
So thank you, Ms. and Mr. Torcaso for raising a kid that could show us more about what life is about, to enjoy the time you have and to show love a little more.
—Madeleine Koenig
Blaine’s Theatre Department pays tribute to a dear friend.
From the Catharine Blaine K-8 2020 Promotion page.
Song: Solla Sollew from Seussical the Musical
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty
Love From the Aussie Meyers Family
How to write what we are feeling… it is such a hard thing to do and no words will truly be adequate in expressing how we feel. The Aussie Meyers family grew to know Giacomo via annual collages of family highlights sent to us around Christmas from the Torcaso-Meyers’. That sweet baby in a box was the start of many photos of Giacomo we received as he grew to such an inquisitive, gentle and loving lad.
Great Uncle Mike was able to meet Giacomo in 2009 when Mike flew to USA to visit with his brothers, one being Giacomo’s grandfather, Tom. Mason, Bradley and I (Great Aunt Wendy) met Giacomo in January 2019 when we visited Seattle. The meal at Ray’s was the first time we actually met Giacomo who was a little shy but willingly chatted with us even with our strange accent. Another visit to the family home, and a dig through all the children’s books sent to him each Christmas, on display in the living room. I had shared my love of a favourite Australian author, Mem Fox, with Giacomo over many years and Mary told me the family favourite was Wombat Divine, which was one of my favourites too. What a welcome we had received from everyone on that visit.
Mason had promised that next time he visited with Giacomo that they would play some video games as time did not allow during that visit. When Bradley received the opportunity for a job at the University of British Columbia, we were all excited as this meant he would be close to his Seattle family. He and I flew to Canada in September 2019. Jeff, Mary, Giacomo and August spent a weekend in Vancouver and we got to spend time with the family visiting Science World, eating out and chatting, even sometimes about Grid Iron football, especially the Seahawks. Bradley and I knew a little about football because (Great Uncle) Mike still watched it whenever it was available on TV in Western Australia. I love the photo of us outside The Flying Pig, in Gastown.
Bradley was fortunate to spend his first cold Christmas with the Torcaso-Meyers family, enjoying his holiday in Seattle, getting to know his extended family, whose company he enjoyed. I know Bradley treasures the time spent with Giacomo. Each day, on WhatsApp, he would send me photos and tell me about what he was doing and every day activities with Giacomo were mentioned. The whole family spoilt Bradley and it will always be a special memory for him. I know Bradley enjoyed playing music, board games, bowling, watching football (and learning about the rules) and especially his first foray into building a gingerbread house with Giacomo. The boys (Bradley and Giacomo) even used a Caramello Koala and a Freddo Frog as guards at the doorway. A very Aussie flavour.
Giacomo touched our lives in such a short time of actually meeting with him, making a significant impact on his Aussie family. Giacomo was, in a way, so like Wombat Divine in that he had “…a heart full of hope and a head full of dreams…” which is so evident from the snippet written on the Treehouse fundraising site. We send our love and thoughts to the family and friends, who so eloquently describe this lovely young lad, and through them his memory will live on.
– Mason, Bradley and Wendy Meyers
Giacomo and me at the Mariners game
I loved all the memories and times Giacomo and I got to hang out and go to mariners games. He was a special person that made things exciting and kept up the energy.
– Adam Tripp
Growing up With the Turners
Moments and snapshots over the last 13+ years. G, thank you for the memories forever loved, never forgotten always in our hearts.
Love,
Steve, Kelly, Ryan and Colin
A boy and his dog… remembering such a great kid
A picture is worth a thousand words. His sweet, sweet smile and kind demeanor… Giacomo was the boy any mom would dream for a daughter to fall in love with someday!
– Kim Terrones