Father, son meet for first time after 48 years thanks to genealogy
The Brief
Terry Moore and his son, Mike Martinez, met for the first time after 48 years.
Moore said he only recently found out he had a son and was anxious to meet him.
Martinez said he's grateful to find his father after decades of searching.
TAMPA, Fla. - There are all kinds of reunions at airports for short trips and longer journeys. Then there's Terry Moore of Inverness, who waited at Tampa International Airport on Thursday for a reunion 48 years in the making.
What they're saying
"My heart is beating out of my chest right now," said Terry, anxious for the arrival of his first child.
"I'm a father. At 75 years old, I find out I'm a father," said Terry.
Terry and his wife, Mary, never had children of their own, but just five days ago, they found out that a brief relationship Terry had before they got married led to a son he never knew he had.
"I just never expected any of it," he said.
As any father in Terry's position would be, he hasn't been able to contain his excitement.
READ: Legoland Florida's SEA LIFE Aquarium will introduce kids to the wonders of the sea
"I go to the bank, I tell them. I go to the hardware store, I tell them. I go to the post office, I tell them," he said.
Mike Martinez has been on one of those longer journeys, trying to find Terry.
"He's 48. He's been looking for me since he was 9 years old," said Terry.
Mike used Ancestry.com and worked with a genealogist to eventually find a relative, who shared the news with Terry.
"I called him up and said, 'I hear you're looking for a dad,'" said Terry.
The connection was undeniable.
READ: Pinellas County deputy rescues 8 orphaned baby opossums
"His fiancé asked what she could call me, Mr. Terry? And I said 'No, I've always wanted someone to call me Dad. So this is what we are doing," said Terry.
Five days later, Mike was on his way from Houston to Tampa to meet his dad for the first time.
"My whole life," Mike said when talking about his long wait.
The two spoke on the phone every night since they first connected.
"We just clicked. You know, we've just been really, really close since then. So I'm glad to have this moment," said Mike.
Mike said he and his fiancé plan to start a family of their own soon, so it was important for him to finally find his father.
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
"I want to know everything. You know, I got a lot of a lot of catching up to do. I got a whole backpack full of pictures," said Mike.
During the years when Mike was looking for them, Terry and Mary ran their own treasure hunting business. For Terry, this is the find of a lifetime.
"I've never even dreamed of it. I mean, this is way out of the ordinary. To find out that somebody really wanted to be with me, they hunted for me for 40 some years. That gets you in the heart," said Terry.
As Terry and Mike talked over the phone, they found out they have many similarities: a shared sense of humor, riding motorcycles, a love of hot rods, and they are both entrepreneurs. They're sure to discover more similarities during their first face-to-face visit.
The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: A grieving dad opens up about his veteran son's death by suicide
'My son,' he told me, 'should be on that wall also.' At the same time, as I found out later when Waddell and I connected via phone, the longtime North Aurora resident, who retired to Wisconsin in 2006, also understands why former U.S. Army Master Sgt. Michael Waddell's name is not included on the Illinois Fallen Wall among those who gave their lives in service to this country since 9/11. Death by suicide is far more complex. Far too hard to categorize in terms of cause and effect. And there are far too many. Twenty-two a day has been a call-to-action statistic, although the most recent data from the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (using 2022 numbers) puts it at 17.6 veterans committing suicide per day, which is significantly higher than among non-veteran adults. 'Can you imagine,' asked Waddell, 'how long a wall it would have to be to contain all of them?' And yes, when the Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation took over the Illinois Fallen Wall display a year ago, founder Bob Patterson – whose son, a West Aurora High School grad, was killed in 2012 in Afghanistan – noted some 'upset' feelings by loved ones grieving a suicide. But like Waddell, he noted, after some discussion they understood the reasoning behind the decision not to include those who took their own lives while in service or later. Still, the pain Waddell feels more than two years after his only child shot himself is palpable. It's a pain that needs acknowledging, as does his son's service to this country. After graduating in 1988 from West Aurora High School, Mike Waddell worked for a year in a warehouse, 'with no direction,' until his dad, a Marmion Academy graduate who worked for UPS, saw the names and addresses of those serving in the military printed in The Beacon-News, and encouraged his son to reach out to some and find out how they liked the experience. Because the feedback was positive, Mike enlisted in November of 1989, and spent the next 22 years in the U.S. Army, including two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where, according to his father, he suffered traumatic brain injury when his vehicle hit an IED. The younger Waddell retired as a master sergeant in 2011 and worked for the Army Corps of Engineers until shortly before his death in Jacksonville, North Carolina, according to his father, but struggled with PTSD, which eventually impacted his personality and relationships. Suffering from those invisible wounds, Mike became more verbally abusive, self-medicating on weed and wine, said Ron Waddell, adding that while his son would call the V.A. when 'having a bad day,' he never sought counseling, even with loved ones begging him to get help. With his 30-year marriage crumbling around him, said the elder Waddell, Mike used a gun to take his own life on May 8, 2023. 'As a child, he literally passed out when getting a shot,' recalled the father. 'Imagine the mental anguish he was going through' to end his life in this way. 'Had his mother been alive,' he continued, referring to his wife Andi's death in 2014 after a long battle with cancer, 'it would have killed her.' Waddell described their son as a 'good kid … a funny guy when he was not the way he was in the end.' And he was an excellent soldier, his father noted, referring to the many military commendations he received, as well as a flood of personal accolades from peers following his death. 'Your son was a good man … one of the best non-commissioned officers I have ever worked with,' wrote a fellow soldier who served twice with Mike during his service. While Mike Waddell's career meant most of his adult years were long distance from his dad, he was buried with full military honors at Northwoods National Cemetery in Harshaw, Wisconsin, just 15 minutes from Ron's home. And that gives a still-grieving father tremendous comfort knowing his son is 'finally at peace.' 'I can't emphasize enough how impressed and proud I was of him,' he told me. 'I have so many memories, all good.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Volunteers 'devastated' at garden centre closure
Learning disabled volunteers and their families say they are "devastated" a west London community garden centre is set to be closed down. More than 4,500 have signed a petition urging the Hillingdon Council to keep the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) in Colham open. A group of learning disabled adults help maintain the garden centre, and some have attended for decades and see it as a critical part of their routine, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Hillingdon Council says the centre is making an annual loss of £137,000 a year which is being subsidised by local taxpayers and and volunteers will be offered alternative "learning and developmental opportunities". Terry, who has been volunteering at the garden centre for several years, said he had "stopped leaving the house" before he began working there. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "My mum got ill with dementia and I had to look after her, when she died I was suggested to come here, it's now the only place I come to. "If this place closes I won't be doing anything again, it makes me upset." Wayne, a volunteer of over 30 years at the RAGC, says he loves the work and the people he works with. His father Stuart says it is the "one thing that gives them a purpose in life". Without it, he says, many volunteers would be "stuck at home". "All of these people will be devastated," he added. "We all need this place, what it does for people, and the community it brings. We need it." Hillingdon Council says it will continue supporting volunteers by offering horticultural placements in gardens and public areas around the borough's Civic Centre in Uxbridge. The local authority says this will provide "enriched learning and developmental opportunities" and "a wider range of activities than they currently experience at the garden centre". The report on the future of the Rural Activities Garden Centre is due to be will be considered by the council's Cabinet on 26 June. Hillingdon Council said: "We are committed to ensuring all volunteers with assessed social care needs receive enriched learning and developmental opportunities. "Unfortunately, the RAGC's retail operations are not economically viable and we cannot expect residents to subsidise a loss-making garden centre." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to London Borough of Hillingdon
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
CODI Alert: Missing Person
Salem, Va (WFXR) — Virginia State Police have put out a CODI alert on behalf of the Salem Police Department, for 14-year-old Keirnan Toy Kazuhiki Terry. Terry is a white male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing black Nike sweatpants, a black hoodie with a white graphic on the back, and a black beanie. His hair is currently cut short. Police say he was last seen at 2:20p.m. in the 500 block of Yorkshire Street in Salem, leaving the location on foot. VSP say his disappearance poses a 'credible threat to his health and safety.' Anyone with information is asked to contact the Salem Police Department at (540) 375-3078 (24 hour dispatch), or visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
