RIP "Why Not" Rockets, Texans and Astros Fan (Son of Shark44)

Brothers and Sisters,

I've struggled for several months on how to start this thread. Many thanks to @Clutch for his support in putting this together for me.

My oldest son who was the poster "Why Not" passed away unexpectedly at age 37. Besides "Why Not" he had another handle when he was younger, but as a military brat he couldn't remember his logon and restarted his posting as @Why-Not.

His name was Talon, he was born in the Philippines and I was assigned to a Special Operations unit that flew MC-130s (Combat Talon) aircraft. He had a Rockets basketball in his crib as a newborn and grew up a Rockets fan. We went to the 1995 WCF Game 5 in San Antonio (we were stationed there). It was a perfect night, we were two red dots in a sea of black and Olajuwon destroyed Robinson and Cassell (his fav player) scored 30! He was 8, but always remembered that night.

If you're interested in reading more about his life, here's a link to his obituary... https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/castle-rock-co/talon-schwalm-12069324https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/castle-rock-co/talon-schwalm-12069324

Talon died from essentially what is called the widow maker. He was only 37, worked out and still played basketball. He had a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters, everything to live for. He was player/coached a local rec team (featured two former Bronco players) to a championship in 2024. He attended his sister's wedding 3 weeks before he passed and looked great...



So besides him being a Houston sports fan and super smart sports guy that his dad loved talking to why am I sharing this with CCF?

Two big reasons:

- First, Talon didn't tell anyone he was having symptoms. He went to bed feeling bad with a stomach virus and never woke up. We were all stunned until we got the autopsy results and it's still hard to believe. He was a fast food junky (Taco Bell was his fav), but other than that there is not an early history of heart disease in our family. His wife recently found he had asked Chatgpt about his symptoms thinking it was likely associated with a tough workout. Two lessons from this, no matter how good you look or feel if you have pains, tingling, etc. get it checked out and don't rely on Google/Chatgpt for a diagnosis.

- Second, Talon loved everyone and was always a uniter, not a divider. He loved a spirited debate and would often take the other side just to understand fully why someone was so passionate. We get into some silly name calling posting on here that really isn't necessary, healthy or productive. Talon use to say, "Be the light and your world will never be dark." It's ok to disagree and debate, that makes us better and hopefully broadens are own views and perspective, but we don't need to act like virtual tough guys (or gals) to get our points across.

No one else in my family really likes sports, needless to say Houston sports. I not only lost my son, but my best friend and sports buddy. This NFL Draft will be tough because we always watched them together. CCF is now my only Houston sports outlet, you are my sports buddies and I love interacting with all of you. I also retired from the corporate rat race last month, so I could focus on things I love, which means I may be posting more. ;-)

Enjoy the moment, none of us know how many we have left.

Shark44

Courtesy of @Clutch his CCF profile and content are below.

"Why Not" Profile:
https://bbs.clutchfans.net/members/why-not.60378/

All content posted:
https://bbs.clutchfans.net/search/member?user_id=60378

All threads started:
https://bbs.clutchfans.net/search/member?user_id=60378&content=thread

 

Thanks Os, it's an experience no parent ever wants to have. His birthday was March 7th and that was a hard day for all of us.

 

Thanks Scar. The tests everyone with symptoms or when you get in your 40s should get are CT Heart Scan Plus and PV Vascular Screening Heart Scan Plus. They cost about $200 and insurance won't usually pay for them, but they will show what kind of plaque buildup you have in your arteries.

We probably have a doc on here that can explain it better, but I'd rather be proactive with health.

 

Thanks xiki and congrats on escaping the hamster's wheel, it certainly feels great after 42 years playing the game.

I'm taking a couple of months off and then pursuing my passion--helping develop the next generation of leaders. I'm going to work with a friend who is running a small Leadership Center in DC. It's something Talon has been encouraging me to do for years and I know it can't wait any longer. It's a way to give back and share all I've learned (Oh, and I chose when I do it).

Sounds good on the draft.

 

Agree 110% on that one brother!