In honor of Father’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the dads and granddads who lead with love, wisdom, and quiet strength. From imparting lasting pearls of wisdom to passing down family traditions, their influence runs deep and wide. In this special Resident News feature, we celebrate their stories – heartwarming, humorous, and deeply inspiring – honoring the roles they play not just in their families, but in shaping the communities we call home.

Dave Auchter

Dave Auchter of Ortega is a fourth generation Jacksonville native and father to three young adults.

“I have endless reasons to be proud of my children,” he said. “But seeing their compassion for others is humbling and a consistent highlight.”

One of Dave’s life lessons it seems his kids have truly taken to heart is to “be an optimist and always seek to see the best in people.”

Dave’s great-grandfather founded the Auchter Company in 1929, which built many of Jacksonville’s civil and corporate buildings, including City Hall. Dave worked alongside his family for seven years, moving on to roles at a few other Jacksonville companies before assuming his current role as corporate marketing vice president at The Haskell Company.

His deep and active religious faith, nurtured by his mother, is another guiding principle in his life.

“I pray my children find a similar peace and practice in their own lives,” he said.

Now that his kids are grown, Dave finds that family time is especially precious.

“I cherish the rare opportunities we have to be together in the same place,” he said. “Inevitably, someone yells, ‘Group hug!’”

David Barton

Growing up in Jacksonville as a fourth-generation native, David Barton has a deep appreciation for our natural environment, which his two children also share.

“Conserving land for future generations to enjoy and taking good care of the St. Johns River are important,” he said.

The family enjoys camping together, and their outdoor adventures have taken the family across the map: scuba diving in Cozumel, whale watching in Alaska, snow skiing in Steamboat, and exploring Spanish Wells in The Bahamas.

David believes hard work and education build a foundation for success, and the greatest happiness in life are people and the time we get to spend with them.

David reflected proudly, “It’s a joy to raise your children and watch them evolve into their own person.”

Now that they are older, one of his favorite memories was a time they “ignored the traditional hierarchy of the parent-child relationship” and surprised one of his kids with a funny video found on social media, which caused the whole family to erupt in laughter.

“We are four adults now having a great time together,” he said.

Arthur Bides

San Marco resident Arthur Bides said one tradition he hopes his children carry on to future generations is their family’s Filipino heritage.

“I want them to carry the values of respect for elders, shown through gestures like mano po, and the spirit of bayanihan – coming together as a community to help one another,” Arthur said. “I hope they continue to celebrate our fiestas, enjoy lumpia and lechon at family gatherings, and take pride in our language, our stories and the resilience of our people. Passing on our heritage isn’t just about preserving culture – it’s about giving them a strong foundation of identity, pride, and connection.”

Arthur is the president of the Filipino-American Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with many nonprofit organizations, including the Florida Water Environmental Association and the Garden Club of Jacksonville. He names a family vacation to Callaway Gardens as the most meaningful to him as a dad.

“Surrounded by nature, away from the rush of daily life, we had the chance to truly slow down and just be together,” he said. “It was the kind of trip that reminded me what really matters: making memories, being present, and seeing the world through my children’s eyes.”

Bill Cesery

Third generation developer and property manager Bill Cesery of San Marco-based Cesery Companies looks forward to his family business continuing for many years to come.

“My daughter, Christie, has her real estate broker’s license and is working on getting her general contractor’s license – the same two licenses I have,” he said. “Two of my cousins work in the business.”

His grandfather, Angelo, moved his construction to Jacksonville in 1906 to help rebuild after the Great Fire of 1901. Bill’s father, William Sr., began building houses in Arlington in the 1950s; he established Wm R. Cesery Co.
in 1959. In 1976, Bill joined the business as well.

He’s learned many life lessons from his family that he is now passing down to daughter Christie, son Ross and his two grandchildren.

“Always be truthful and treat people fairly and with respect, in business and your personal life,” Bill said.
“Keep a calm demeanor even when things are falling apart.”

Another family tradition is “epic family vacations,” which began with a trip his parents took him and his sisters on to Disneyland in California in 1959 and continues today with, most recently, a trip touring around Australia.

Matt Carlucci

Losing his own father at age 29 has led San Marco resident Matt Carlucci to strive to always be present and vocal with his sons, Matthew and Joseph.

“I tell them often how I love them and how proud I am of them – and I mean it with all my heart,” he said.

Fly fishing and faith are cherished traditions they share now that Matt hopes lives on through his children. “We love to fish together in the mountains in Georgia, Montana and Wyoming, but more importantly, I hope my sons continue to live their lives rooted in faith, compassion, integrity, and public service.” he said. “One is serving on the Jacksonville City Council; the other leads a Burmese outreach ministry through our church. Both are also fourth-generation insurance agents – so service, in many forms, runs marrow deep.”

When it comes to holidays, Thanksgiving is Matt’s favorite. “No stress over gifts – just good food, laughter, and being together,” he said. “Watching my sons joke with each other, seeing them as both grown men and the boys I raised, is a gift I treasure every year.”

Steve Pajcic

Steve Pajcic founded The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic in 1974 with his late brother, Gary. Today, his son Michael practices there as do his three nephews.

Steve was elected to the Florida House of Representatives for six terms and has given millions in support of education. Despite his professional success, he is quick to credit his wife, Anne, for his greatest dad accomplishment:

“Both Michael and Helen fully respect all that their mother contributed to our life by making our home such a welcome and happy home,” he said. “They both put the highest value on what she took care of for us. They are both great cooks, wonderful parents and promoters of family happiness and enrichment, just like their mother.”

The Avondale resident names eating meals together, singing the kids to sleep and playing fun games as a family as the traditions he has passed down to his children.

“There are only three important things in life: doing the right thing, doing the best job you can and having fun,” he said.

 And, perhaps, having a sense of humor.

“As a dad, you are always the dumbest one in the family,” he said.

Dr. Josh Rogozinski

San Jose resident Dr. Josh Rogozinski is an orthopedic surgeon working in the family business, Rogozinksi Orthopedic Clinic, alongside his fellow physicians, who also happen to be his brother, his father, his cousin and his uncle, with yet another uncle serving as chief operating officer.

“I believe the sense of duty is one part of fatherhood that never changes across generations,” he said. “I feel personal duty to my kids, Ezekiel, Alexi, Cobie, Quinn, and Ruby, that I have given them the life they each deserve.”

Josh and his wife, Jodi, believe in love and finding love in each other’s differences, which he hopes carries on to their children.

The busy family of seven is comprised of two sets of boy twins and one daughter.

“Despite the cries and screams in this household, I consider myself the luckiest,” Josh said.

The family has found a sweet spot to escape what can be a hectic, everyday life:

“Family beach time at Ponte Vedra Beach, specifically the golden light just before sunset, is a moment together I will always remember,” he said. “Every time we go to the beach at this time, the kids just seem so relaxed, and I personally just want to stop time and spend forever there together!”

Percy Rosenbloom III

The best thing about being a dad for Percy Rosenbloom?

“Becoming a granddad,” he shared proudly of his six grandchildren, courtesy of his children: Christine, Hoyt and Carter.

Percy, who lives in Ortega, founded his company SaniGLAZE International, a tile and hard surface restoration business, in 2000, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who founded Royal Services in 1914. Royal Services was a janitorial contracting business.

Now, the tradition continues as both his sons are leaders in the family business. Percy strives to set a good example, stay positive and keep moving. A family memory that epitomizes this was a boating trip to the Florida Keys: The family was caught in a thunderstorm and managed to seek limited shelter on a small mangrove island.

“One of my children asked me why God would do such a thing to us,” Rosenbloom recalled. “After some thought, I explained many things happen that we cannot understand, but if we pray, God will listen. He then went into a serious prayer that I found nothing short of amazing and inspirational, given his age at the time. A few minutes after his prayer, the clouds parted, and the sun returned.”

Richard Rosenblum

San Jose resident Richard Rosenblum learned the value of civility from his father and grandfather through their family business, Rosenblum’s. Rosenblum’s has now passed down to Richard’s four children, along with two core values he has impressed upon them:

“Having a good work ethic and treating everyone with respect, from the janitor to the CEO, are two core values I know my kids have learned,” Richard said.

Another lesson he’s passed on to his children is the importance of health and fitness.

“I’ve tried to stay fit for 63 years and set the example of importance of good health and nutrition,” he said.

Sports have been a common thread in the family as they have enjoyed days cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Richard remains present for his children, occasionally doling out nuggets of fatherly advice, including, “Nothing good happens after midnight.”

Though two of his children are now away at college, the kids all FaceTime each other together nearly every night.

“I’m confident they will carry on the importance of family values and closeness with each other,” he said.

Michael Schmidt

Co-owner of Bearded Pig in San Marco, Michael Schmidt is part of a close-knit Jacksonville clan, with his own father living less than one mile away from him and his family.

“I enjoy things I have always done with my father and things I did with my two grandfathers,” he said.

Now, he’s passing down these traditions to his three children, with one-on-one and group activities.

“I hope they remember things we do together and look fondly on all the time we spend together,” he said.

The family’s annual trips to Maine have created special memories.

“We always find new things to do and discover, but also we have our favorite places and things to do,” he said.

Among other lessons, Michael is teaching his children to be thoughtful.

“Measure twice and cut once.” he said. “Seems simple but it speaks to taking your time.”

One thing that never changes about fatherhood is that kids are kids. “They fall, they get up and they learn. As a dad, you just have to let them learn,” he said. “I’m still learning and my dad still lets me ‘fall’ so I can get up.”

Henry Thorpe

For Henry Thorpe of San Jose, fatherhood is a continuous journey of learning.

“One of the goals of life is to be a complete human: someone who is self-aware and confident while also being capable of making room for others to be expressive of themselves,” he said. “I think dads are concerned that they are demonstrating to their children how to be that complete human. The challenge, of course, is that we dads are teaching them even as we ourselves learn.”

One valuable lesson Henry learned from his own father that he is working to pass down to his daughter is the power of kindness and treating others as she’d like to be treated.

“My late dad spoke of times when he was mistreated, and his decision that he would never do the same to someone else,” he said. “I watched him and I can attest to his graciousness and willingness to forgive.”

Henry balances these core values with times to just have fun together.

“One of my favorite memories was going to Fun Spot amusement park in Orlando, just the two of us,” said Henry. “We proceeded to eat all the candy, funnel cake and ice cream we could. We enjoyed the rides, overdid it on the goodies, and had a great day.”

Manny Torres

“One thing my father passed down to me which I emphasize with my two sons is accountability,” said Manny Torres of Granada. “You are responsible for your actions and their results. If you aren’t happy with your results, it’s your responsibility to take different actions.”

His boys’ actions are making him proud, particularly when they feel proud of their own accomplishments. “When I see my sons’ faces [when they’re] doing what they love – whether it’s Alex winning at a water polo tournament or Drew giving a great theatrical performance – that always pulls at my heart strings,” Manny said.

The family recently traveled to the San Francisco Bay area for spring break and the Water Polo Olympic Development Nationals.

Father, mother and son – Manny, Mary Beth and Alex – all play water polo. Some of the best times they enjoy as a family is had during adventurous trips across the country and abroad.

“One tradition in our family is to travel and explore new places as a family,” said Manny. “I hope when my kids get older that they continue this tradition and if I’m lucky… maybe they’ll invite me along as well.”

John Weedon

The three Fs – faith, family and football – have shaped San Jose resident John Weedon as a dad.

“We regularly practice our Catholic faith, stay close with our extended family, and – very proudly – bleed the colors of our favorite teams,” he said. “It’s not just about sports, though – it’s about loyalty, showing up, and having pride in the people and things you love.”

John grew up going to football games with his parents and grandparents.

“My family has had Gators season tickets since the 1950s and Jaguars season tickets since the team’s first season in 1995,” he said. “I went to my first game at 10, but all three of my kids have been going since they were newborns. It’s been a special bond for generations, and I’d love for that tradition to keep going down the line.”

John notes that even as the times evolve, the basics of fatherhood stay consistent.

“The tools might change – our dads had newspapers and long talks in the garage, we’ve got driveway basketball games and post-bedtime snack negotiations – but the basics stay the same: consistency, values, and a united front from both parents, even when you’re trading off good cop and bad cop.”