Longtime Cubs Fan Buried with Ticket from NLCS Clincher

CHICAGO, IL — Anthony Soria, a longtime resident of south suburban Calumet Park, was an American hero who served in both World War II and the Korean War as a member of the United States Marine Corps.

But during his final years, long after his days in the service and retirement from the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, his focus was on family... and the Chicago Cubs.

“What time are the Cubs playing?” was a question at least one of his relatives would hear every day during baseball season. He would watch all of the games, every inning and in every year. Even the bad ones, and having lived for 88 years, Soria watched many a sub-par Cubs team.

As we all know, 2016 has been different. The Cubs have been the best team in baseball all year and are in the World Series against the Cleveland Indians.

Unlike so many other Cubs fans who did not live long enough to experience 2016, Anthony did. He watched every inning during the regular season and the team’s National League Division Series win over the San Francisco Giants.

But he wasn’t able to watch much of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he won’t have a chance to watch the team in the World Series. Anthony died on Oct. 18 while the Cubs were in the midst of a Game 3 loss.

“He passed away right before they won (the pennant),” said Wendy Soria-Miroballi, Anthony’s daughter, one of his eight children. “He was always a Cubs fan, he made us Cubs fans and he never got to see them win a pennant.”

I knew Anthony as “Grandpa Soria.” He wasn’t my grandfather by blood, he was my girlfriend's. I still consider him family. He was the patriarch of an incredible group of people. Eight children, 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, including my 4-year-old son Jaykeb and 9-month-old daughter Charlotte.

While I only knew him for a few years, I’ll always treasure the conversations I had with him. He would always light up when anyone mentioned the Cubs.

The family put together a beautiful tribute to him on Monday for his funeral services. His children, grandchildren, in-laws and friends remembered his legacy with dozens of memorable stories. The man epitomized “tough love” but was always there for his family.

Obituary: Anthony Soria, Sr. via Krueger Funeral Home in Blue Island

He looked peaceful in his casket. Laying there decked out in an Anthony Rizzo Cubs jersey provided by his son Nick, perhaps the most “die-hard” Cubs fan of all of his children. The jersey was accompanied by a blue Cubs hat that would also be buried with him, along with a medal from his days in the Marine Corps and a Cubs ring.

Also, a ticket stub from the Cubs’ Game 6 National League Championship- clinching victory over the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

Paul Soria, one of his four sons, was at the game on Saturday and saved the ticket (one of just 40,000 or so that exists from the historic pennant clincher) for his late father. It will now be with him forever.

Grandpa may have not had the chance to watch the historic clincher that came just four days after his death. But with the ticket, he went to the grave knowing they pulled it out.

When Grandpa died last Tuesday, it was anything but certain that the Cubs would win the pennant. Down 2-1 to the Dodgers and having just been shut out, even some of the most optimistic faithful were counting them out.

But what followed was three dominating games, leaving no doubt the Cubs were the best in the National League in 2016.

“He loved the Cubs, and his passion has been passed on to all of us,” Wendy said. “My brothers have more memories of him taking them to games that I do, but the memory of him watching all the games at home on WGN and being so interested in them no matter their record is something I’ll always cherish.”

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