Mason Dischler knew exactly where he wanted to place the cremains of his beloved father, Gregory C. Dischler, who died Oct. 30, 2020, of COVID-19 complications at 61.

Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.

That would be a fitting location, he decided, for the southern California native and lifelong, die-hard Angels fan to spend eternity. Gregory Dischler grew up โ€œdown the streetโ€™โ€™ from the stadium. Even when living on the opposite coast, โ€œhe never lost touch with his favorite sports team.โ€™โ€™

โ€œI think he would have cried,โ€™โ€™ he said of his final resting place.

He encouraged his son to share his passion for athletics. โ€œHe was adamant on having me try and play sports,โ€™โ€™ he said.

Dischler was born in Inglewood, California, and he traveled around America as a carnival worker for 10 years before eventually settling in New Bedford, where he worked as a forklift operator at Decas Cranberry Co.

His daughter Melody Dischler, remembers stories about the dad who saved her life just two months after it began. When a friend saw two-month-old Melody turning blue, her father performed CPR on her and โ€œbreathed me back to life,โ€™โ€™ she said.

He will eternally be a cornerstone of her life, she said. โ€œHe was very, very important to me,โ€™โ€™ she said. 


Collage of New Bedford people who died in COVID pandemic featured in memorial.
A VIRTUAL MEMORIAL

We remember you.

As the city emerges from the long siege of COVID-19, we pause to take stock of what โ€“ and whom โ€“ weโ€™ve lost. Please help build this community memorial by adding a tribute to your loved one.


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