---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My dad died when I was 17. He had heart…"
description: "\"My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked up ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg"
---

#  My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other…

![“My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked up the reins and raised six boys all on her own.” quote by Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg)

> “My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked up the reins and raised six boys all on her own.”

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A son reflects on his father's death and his mother's strength raising six boys alone.

**In simple terms:** A dad died, mom raised six boys alone.

Key Takeaway

Respect and support resilient parents.

Themes

family loss resilience parenting strength

Mood

reflective admiring

Type

narrative inspirational

When to use this quote

- Coping with loss
- supporting single parents
- honoring legacy

Key Concepts

Grief maternal sacrifice family dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How did your mother manage the responsibilities?
- What support could have eased her burden?

A Different Perspective

Challenges of single parenting can be overwhelming without community help.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dad died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad-died/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Good father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-father/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/)

## Related quotes

> [My dad died when I was three so my mom had to raise four kids on her own, and I think there's a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-bibb/my-dad-died-when-i-was-three-so-my-mom-had-to-raise-four-kids-on-her/)

[Leslie Bibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-bibb/)

> [My family was pretty solidly middle-class. We had a furniture store out near Connie Mack Stadium, and when Dad died, my mom took it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-picardo/my-family-was-pretty-solidly-middle-class-we-had-a-furniture-store/)

[Robert Picardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-picardo/)

> [Died my hair, then died it back because my mom didnt like it and she bitched. And I wasnt really feeelin it anyways (:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/died-my-hair-then-died-it-back-because-my-mom-didnt-like-it-and-she/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“You were the person that turned things right again. With you, I became courageous and free. It was like the part of me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-douglas/you-were-the-person-that-turned-things-right-again-with-you-i-became/)

[Penelope Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-douglas/)

> [When she died, Mom left me her letters and journals. Windows into things I would have been too young to understand when she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/when-she-died-mom-left-me-her-letters-and-journals-windows-into/)

[John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/)

> [Surrogate fathers and other male figures stepped in to give guidance after my dad died. Businessmen taught me to honor my commitments; others gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/surrogate-fathers-and-other-male-figures-stepped-in-to-give-guidance/)

[Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/)

> [My father - until the day that my dad died - didn't know how many points you scored in a touchdown. He could say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-lindelof/my-father-until-the-day-that-my-dad-died-didn-t-know-how-many-points/)

[Damon Lindelof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-lindelof/)

> [My dad died, and my grandfather died, and my great-grandfather died. And the guy before him, I don't know. Probably died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/my-dad-died-and-my-grandfather-died-and-my-great-grandfather-died-and/)

[Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/)

> [My dad? He died when I was 19, which is a bad time for your dad to die, because there's an awful lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-dad-he-died-when-i-was-19-which-is-a-bad-time-for-your-dad-to-die/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. There are a few things he would say that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/my-dad-died-when-i-was-young-he-was-a-good-and-decent-man-there-are-a/)

[Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/)

> [My dad died of a stroke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/my-dad-died-of-a-stroke/)

[William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/)

> [My dad died when I was young; my mom remarried with more haste than sense to a fellow... he wasn't evil or anything, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-dad-died-when-i-was-young-my-mom-remarried-with-more-haste-than/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [“When my dad died suddenly, my widowed mom couldn’t afford my college tuition, so Morrie and his friend Jake Garber, my dad’s boss, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-friedman/when-my-dad-died-suddenly-my-widowed-mom-couldn-t-afford-my-college/)

[Thomas L. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-friedman/)

> [I won my fight on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' my dad died the next day and I stayed in the game and won the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiesa/i-won-my-fight-on-the-ultimate-fighter-my-dad-died-the-next-day-and-i/)

[Michael Chiesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiesa/)

> [I was just a toddler when my dad died in a car crash. With my mum, Eunice, being a young widow with a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mortimer/i-was-just-a-toddler-when-my-dad-died-in-a-car-crash-with-my-mum/)

[Bob Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mortimer/)

## More by Perry Bellegarde

> [Now is the time to take stock of a painful part of our history. Only then can we move past it. Anything less would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/now-is-the-time-to-take-stock-of-a-painful-part-of-our-history-only/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Indigenous people made huge contributions to this country. The biggest is in sharing the land and resources. People need to see that, understand that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/indigenous-people-made-huge-contributions-to-this-country-the-biggest/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [We focus on bringing back Indigenous languages, ceremonies, cultures, traditions - all that was lost over the past 150 years. This is how we'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/we-focus-on-bringing-back-indigenous-languages-ceremonies-cultures/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [In Cree, an oskâpêwis is a servant or a helper, someone who hauls in rocks for sweats, or pipes or medicines. I equate that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/in-cree-an-osk-p-wis-is-a-servant-or-a-helper-someone-who-hauls-in/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Being the only Indian in class, I had to be able to stand up and defend myself and debate the others when they tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/being-the-only-indian-in-class-i-had-to-be-able-to-stand-up-and/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Indigenous languages are Canada's national treasures. They are our identity. We simply have to put greater effort into rejuvenating and revitalizing them. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/indigenous-languages-are-canada-s-national-treasures-they-are-our/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [If you want to change a mind, there's no better way than a dialogue over coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/if-you-want-to-change-a-mind-there-s-no-better-way-than-a-dialogue/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [To be treaty person means coexist in peace and with mutual respect. That's at the core of these treaties. They intended for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/to-be-treaty-person-means-coexist-in-peace-and-with-mutual-respect/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Living on reserve we hunted; we fished; we trapped. We lived off the land. If we didn't hunt, we didn't eat. In summer, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/living-on-reserve-we-hunted-we-fished-we-trapped-we-lived-off-the/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Some will say: "Why should we celebrate the birth of colonialism, of oppression, of cultural genocide through Canada 150?" It's 2017. In spite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/some-will-say-why-should-we-celebrate-the-birth-of-colonialism-of/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [I experienced racism in different settings: I was followed in stores, in cars. The way you experience racism depends on how you deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/i-experienced-racism-in-different-settings-i-was-followed-in-stores/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [Growing up, the major institutions were school and church. We were taught our culture was no good. We didn't have sundances. The last ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/growing-up-the-major-institutions-were-school-and-church-we-were/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [I went to elementary school in Goodeve, Saskatchewan, a small Ukrainian town. I played a lot of hockey, a lot of ball. Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/i-went-to-elementary-school-in-goodeve-saskatchewan-a-small-ukrainian/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [We are a nation within a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/we-are-a-nation-within-a-nation/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

> [The seven sacred teachings: love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, truth. These are the seven virtues that lead to a full and healthy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/the-seven-sacred-teachings-love-respect-courage-honesty-wisdom/)

[Perry Bellegarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

[Explore all 19 Perry Bellegarde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/)

## More Boys quotes

> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [Lets face it this world is ruled by girls that why we must away pleases our girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/lets-face-it-this-world-is-ruled-by-girls-that-why-we-must-away/)

MrAwesome

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

> [When it comes to bullying small businesses, Donald Trump is the poster boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-it-comes-to-bullying-small-businesses-donald-trump-is-the-poster/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/)

[Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/)

> [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/)

[Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/)

> [The tie's a multi purpose accessory, y'know, belt, school boy, Rambo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/the-tie-s-a-multi-purpose-accessory-y-know-belt-school-boy-rambo/)

[Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/)

> [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/)

[Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/)

> [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [She had been dragged in the most humiliating of all dusts, the dust reserved for older women who let themselves be approached, on amorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-von-arnim/she-had-been-dragged-in-the-most-humiliating-of-all-dusts-the-dust/)

[Elizabeth von Arnim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-von-arnim/)

> [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/)

[Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/)

> [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/)

[Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/)

[Browse all 7,168 Boys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked up the reins and raised six boys all on her own.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Perry Bellegarde"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-and-other-problems-he-was-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boys"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-and-other-problems-he-was-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/perry-bellegarde-28982_boys_my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-a_2216470.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was…” — Perry Bellegarde",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Perry Bellegarde",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-bellegarde/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My dad died when I was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-and-other-problems-he-was-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-bellegarde/my-dad-died-when-i-was-17-he-had-heart-and-other-problems-he-was-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
