A letter to his father
A copy of Daniel Monnin’s letter to his father, Steven, dated Sept. 16, 2007:
Dad,
I am glad that you were there through Jr. High and High school to help guide my way. I know at times it seemed like I hated you because you wouldn’t let me do what i wanted to do. Now looking back I can see this really did help me. I know everyone said you will see how much your father loves you and he is doing this for your own good. Well now looking back (they) were exactly right. I known that I would never be the person I am today with out you. Giving me a (work) ethic, manners, and most importantly you helped me realize that I am the one who decides the directions of my life. Being able to realize that every single decision I make really does affect me somehow. I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me. I know i really messed up sometime but you never gave up. I’m sure it could have been easy to give up and let me do what i wanted. But you didn’t and that means a lot to me. I just want you to know that you did a great job and I know you put everything you had into helping me become who I am. But you have done everything you needed to do for me and now it is my turn. This year I need to buckle down and get the grades. And I realize I have to and will do that.
Thanks for everything,
Love,
Your son.
HAMILTON — Daniel M. Monnin was on top of the world Friday, Aug. 20.
He was headed to Ohio University in January to study criminal justice, worked as a corrections officer in Marysville, was dating his girlfriend of four years and early Friday he was hanging with his high school buddies in Columbus after a long break.
“He wouldn’t shut the hell up talking about how good life was,” said his friend, Donald Sullivan, 21, of Hamilton. But after the five guys bar-hopped in downtown Columbus and told stories about the old days, Monnin, 21, died after diving into a quarry on Bayshore Drive.
Always a daredevil, Monnin did a front flip off a rocky ledge and hit face first into water and never resurfaced.
“It was so dark and the water was so deep ... We just sat there praying to God he was going to walk out of the bushes and say he was just playing a joke. But we knew,” said Sullivan, who was among four young men with Monnin on Friday.
Friends called 911 at 5:28 a.m. Divers found his body in about 20 feet of water at 6:11 a.m.
He was taken to Ohio State University Main Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 7 a.m., according to reports.
Alcohol may have been a factor in the drowning, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief David Whiting said.
“There were signs saying no diving off the cliff wall,” he said. “But it was dark, these guys were young and if there was alcohol involved it was a bad mix.”
Family, friends cope with the death of Daniel Monnin
Former Hamilton High School baseball standout, Daniel Monnin, died just how he lived: Having fun.
“He had to have fun. And he died having fun,” his mother, Susan, said.
Daniel Monnin died early Friday, Aug. 20, after diving into a quarry on Bayshore Drive in Columbus.
Family and friends were stunned Friday when they learned of his death.
“(I feel) just lost,” his father, Steven, said while standing inside a barn turned community batting cage that was surrounded with his sons’ sports memorabilia.
“I always tell people to always hug your kids because you never know. This is one of those you never knows.”
Steven Monnin created the batting cage, equipped with weights and decorated with the uniforms, news clippings, championship banners and trophies of his sons Daniel and David, 16, about eight years ago.
He said baseball was Daniel’s life and the barn was a place where neighborhood kids practiced and father and son bonded.
“It’s special,” his father said of the barn. “I spent a lot of time out here with that boy. I’d throw him out of here, bring him back. We’d fight and carry on. But when he left for college it broke my heart.”
Daniel Monnin was a former West Side All Star and a 2007 graduate of Hamilton High School.
“I wanna cry. My heart goes out to Steve and his family. Our West Side Little League team is thinking about them, and we love them,” said West Side assistant coach Tim Nichting.
Daniel Monnin graduated from Columbus State Community in 2009 with a degree in law enforcement and dreamed of working for the Cincinnati Police Department.
Steven Monnin said though his son played hard, he became a serious student, making the dean’s list due in part to encouragement by Meagan Webb, 20.
“I made him walk the line,” joked Webb, a Hamilton High graduate who is now a junior at Ohio State University.
“But he liked to live life to the second and to the fullest.”
Webb and high school friend, Donald Sullivan, 21, of Hamilton, said Daniel Monnin will be missed.
“He was the kind of kid that tried to take advantage of every single moment. He died living,” Sullivan said. “There’s nothing comforting about it, but that’s as close to comforting as you can get. He died living.”
His father said Daniel’s maturity was evident three days after he left home to attend Columbus State.
After years of the father and son battling over curfew and other things, Daniel sent him a letter that he held close Friday.
“I know at times it seemed like i hated you because you wouldn’t let me do what i wanted to do. Now looking back I can see this really did help me,” Daniel Monnin wrote.
“… I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me. I know I really messed up sometime but you never gave up. I’m sure it could have been easy to give up and let me do what i wanted. But you didn’t and that means a lot to me.”
Staff Writer Jay Morrison contributed to this report.
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