Aug 21, 2009 5:56 pm US/Eastern
On A Ballpark Quest To Honor His Late Wife
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Shawn died suddenly last September from a rare heart disease.
WBZ
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Shawn Marie DeVries was a die-hard Yankees fan.
WBZ
Less than a year after his wife suddenly died of a rare heart disease, a Haverhill man will be in the right field roof seats at Fenway Park, near the end of his cross-country journey to honor her. "I'm not alone along this journey," Bob DeVries told WBZ's Ron Sanders about his major league quest.
DeVries's wife, Shawn Marie, died last September from ARVD, a rare heart disease but a leading cause of sudden death among young athletes. She was 35. "She actually had just run 5 miles that morning and then, that afternoon, she passed away from cardiac arrest," said DeVries.
Bob and Shawn Marie, a Yankees fan, shared a love of baseball. So, Bob, a Cubs fan who grew up in Illinois, has almost completed his quest to attend games in all 30 major ballparks this season.
Follow: Bob's Quest on his Web Site
Friday night, his quest landed him at Fenway Park, ballpark #28, rooting for the Red Sox, but remembering his wife's love of the Yankees. "There's a days when I tear-up when I walk into a ballpark. I'm sure tonight I'll tear-up."
DeVries has met other people on similar quests with different reasons. "Mine is just to share my story, learn how to live again, remember my past while embracing my future."
DeVries has the support of friends, who go to the games with him, and his employer as he travels a lot for business. "You know, I was at Wrigley Field on July 4th and I had taken Shawn to Wrigley Field a few years ago and I still had those memories," he said. "I've had extra tickets at many of the different games and keep the seat next to me empty and know that she's there with me."
Next stop, Toronto where the Blue Jays meet the Yankees. After that, the last stop is Citi Field in New York for a game between the Mets and the Cubs, the same teams Bob and Shawn Marie saw when they went to their first game together.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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