Memoir tells of Haverhill counselor's ups and downs

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July 8, 2009

By Cara Spilsbury

It started as a legacy for his children, a history of his life — his struggles and his triumphs — before he became a father.

But the memoir by Pasquale "Pat" Emiro was so fascinating that Dorrance Publishing has decided to market his book, "The Finger of God."

It is a story of ups and downs, from being a runaway in Somerville, to being a war veteran, to a happy marriage and a beloved career. And through it all, Emiro said that God was his shining light. At age 86, he has survived World War II, tuberculosis, getting run over by a motorcycle, bladder cancer, colon cancer and an aneurysm.

Emiro has four children, eight grandchildren and a great grandson, but he played a large role in many children's lives in Haverhill as a guidance counselor. But it wasn't an easy path to finding his life's calling.

Emiro's mother died when he was just 6 years old. When he was 11, his father remarried. But his new stepmother was just four years his senior. The new marriage sent Emiro on a downward spiral.

"I didn't like that at all," he said.

Emiro ran away from home, sleeping in local movie theaters and working daily jobs for the horse and buggy milk delivery trucks in Charlestown. He didn't go to school and had officially dropped out by the ninth grade.

Even though his father was harsh with him, and despite his troubled youth, Emiro is thankful to his father for some timeless gifts.

"He gave me precious things," Emiro said. "He gave me life and he gave me my faith."

Emiro's faith in God has lit the way for him in his life. Even when he says he strayed from the right path, something out there always protected him and saved him. It soon became apparent that God had a plan for him. He just wasn't quite sure what that plan was.

His father, who ran a market in Somerville, died when Emiro was 17. In 1941, shortly after his death, Emiro joined the Marine Corps and became a member of an elite group: The Fourth Marine Raider Battalion. But four years later his outfit was ambushed and Emiro was wounded by a Japanese sniper.

"I was saved by the grace of God," he said.

Doctors wanted to amputate his hand, but he would not allow it. The injury left Emiro with a clawed hand, a lasting memory of the ambush.

The idea of writing a book came about during a veterans therapy session. He sat down with a counselor and a Vietnam War veteran, and began telling his story. After apologizing for monopolizing the conversation, Emiro remembered vividly the other veteran's reaction.

"He said, 'That's alright. It was a very interesting story,'" Emiro said.

After he recuperated from his war injury, Emiro worked as a waiter. He then slipped into a partying haze.

"I was living my life in disillusion," he remembered. "I thought, I've had enough of this life."

Emiro found himself in church and connected with a spiritual adviser. He asked to see him every week. Soon, his luck turned around.

Emiro met a beautiful woman, Josephine, and eventually married her.

Josephine passed away from cancer on Feb. 10, 2002 after 54 years of marriage. Emiro took care of her before she succumbed to the disease, holding her until the very moment she slipped away.

"She's written in The Bible," he said. "She really is."

At 29, he completed his high school coursework in one year, then went on to graduate from the College of the Holy Cross. He then went on to earn a master's degree in guidance and psychology, and almost completed his doctorate while working at Haverhill High School as a counselor.

He retired after 20 years at Haverhill High, touching the lives of many students at the school. Since his retirement, he hasn't forgotten about the teens of the community. He has been dedicated to working on a grant proposal for a school especially designed for dropouts, a plight he knows well.

Emiro also has written an extensive collection of poetry, studied to be a Eucharistic minister at Northern Essex and is currently training to be a hospice volunteer.

"I love my faith," Emiro said. "If you believe in God, that's all you need. He doesn't want me yet. I've got miles and miles to go before I sleep."