631.405.4857 
By Bonnie Mattessich
I am walking in loving memory of my father, Mario Mattessich. I will be working on September 21 for American Heart Association at Jones Beach to raise heart awareness.
My father, Mario Mattessich, suffered from congestive heart failure for over a decade. He came to the United States when he was 14 from Croatia. My dad was a stern, tough man with a great sense of humor. He embraced his Croatian roots and instilled those traditions within all his children and grandchildren.
He loved his Sunday dinners, music, attended church and vacationed with my mother whenever they were able. He was an avid soccer fan and played for the majority of his life. He had devoted love for his family and family was always his first priority. My father was taken from us at the young age of 69.
My father lived by the motto as long as he was healthy and feeling good, life is good. Mario worked in the construction industry his whole life and had the physique to go with it. At the young age of 60, my father had a massive heart attack, so intense, he had to go into surgery that night. I still remember the surgeons astonishment that my father had no medical records because he never went to the doctor. From that day on, he made it his mission to tell everyone how to life a healthier life.
My father was married to my mother, Mattea Mattessich for 45 years. They have 4 children (me being the middle and an exact duplicate of my father), 4 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. My father passed two years ago from congestive heart failure. He never told us he wasn’t feeling well, he never complained, he never wanted us to worry.
My father was my best friend, my hero, my heart. I know that he will be smiling down on everyone walking that day, and I thank you for visiting this page and hopefully will see you there to honor my father and all those who suffer from heart disease.
