At 11:03 on Wednesday morning my good friend John Sumida passed away. John and I had many common bonds but most of all we shared a love for hockey, specifically the Seattle Thunderbirds. I knew John for three things, Pin Collecting, SeaFair and the Thunderbirds. I will be taking the rest of this week off from the blog to help myself move on.
I really don't know as much about John as I would like. If you asked me his middle name, I would have to guess. How old he is, I coud probably come close. I spent many pre and post game meals with John and never asked the right questions. We would talk hockey for hours and honestly his knowledge of the game is well beyond mine. It should be known that my knowledge of hockey is beyond most, but John was always better.
If there was one thing I was better at than John, it would be eating. John said to me "I had never met anyone who could eat more than I could before I met you". I really don't know if that is a good thing but I was proud at the time. We shared many good meals and I think sometimes he would order what I was having just to see if he to could eat it all. John always wanted a Diet Coke with Lime. He ordered it so much I began to order it for him, "I would like a Coke, and he will have a Diet Coke with Lime." the server would look at John and he would smile and give a big "YEP!".
In a way John introduced me to many of the friends I have now. He would introduce me to someone new and they would always say "I have heard such great things about you". John knew just about everyone. Many times during intermission of the game, John would walk around the concourse talking to anyone and everyone.
John loved hockey and he collected game worn jerseys(See link at bottom). His first one was a Stewart Malgunas, Thunderbirds "sweater". He would wear the same jersey to Thunderbird games until we lost before moving to the next jersey. He loved the Toronto Maple Leafs and had a few Leaf jerseys that were very special to him. In November 2008 I told John I was attending the Leafs game in Vancouver against the Canucks. Knowing that I did not have a Leafs jersey, he brought one of his prized jewels for me to wear. Not only was I shocked, I was honored. I told him thank you 100 different times, but I don't think he fully knew how much that really meant to me.
Traveling to away games with John was always an adventure. Every Labor Day weekend the Everett Silvertips host a preseason "tournament". One year as a few of my friends were getting married at a park by my house in Kent, John and I stayed at their place in Everett. Wanting to do something special for them, John and I attatched streamers all over the apartment. From wall to wall, counter top to wall, counter top to door, wall to door. You name it! Before we left the apartment for the last time we left a sign on the front door, "Enter at your own risk!". It went over huge.
Some of us like to refer to our group as "The King's Army". A lot of us would consider Allen King to be our leader, hence the name. We sit together at games, travel together to away games, eat together before and after games. From September to March, April if the T-Birds get that far in the playoffs, we basically share out lives together. We are brothers.
I started writing this Wednesday night. It has been very hard for me to get much out before I just have to stop and get away from it. It is now 2:45 on Friday morning, technically speaking that means tomorrow is the first game of a new season. For the first time in a long time, John Sumida will not be there to see it. I know he will be watching, but it just wont be the same.
R.I.P. John. You defined beauty.
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Jersey link, right here.
Video I made, right here.
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Thank you all for understanding. I will get back into High School Football on Monday.
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