Fifty years later, Bristol man discovers he has a son

By Manuel C. "Manny" Correira
Posted 12/15/18

Imagine not knowing you had a child for nearly 50 years.

That was the plight of local resident Tony Ribeiro, who discovered recently that he had a son following a relationship he had with a …

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Fifty years later, Bristol man discovers he has a son

Posted

Imagine not knowing you had a child for nearly 50 years.

That was the plight of local resident Tony Ribeiro, who discovered recently that he had a son following a relationship he had with a Vietnam woman (Thuy Nguyen) during the harrowing days of the Vietnam War.

“It’s a miracle,” said the soft-spoken Mr. Ribeiro, better known as “Pickles” to family and friends. “I had met his mom in Nha Trang, in Vietnam, while stationed with my U.S. Army M.P. unit from 1971 to ’72. I was shocked when I found out that I had left a son behind.”

Now, all these years later, Mr. Ribeiro, who has two other children, finally introduced his new son, Stephen Willmore, 45, to his family and friends this past week. It was a reunion that couldn’t have come at a better time, especially since it was the holiday season.

For Stephen, his long-awaited reunion with his biological father was a dream come true, considering what had happened to him previously.

“I left Vietnam when I was seven months old,” said Stephen, who now resides in San Diego, Calif., with his wife, Kim, and one-year-old son, Dominic. “I had a rough upbringing and got involved with street gangs in San Diego when I was 17 years old. I even served some time in prison, but have since straightened myself out and become a model citizen.”

A hard worker now as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician, Stephen spends extra time with at-risk kids and tries to impress upon them the values of living life the right way and becoming responsible citizens.

“Since I got out of prison in 2014, I’ve made a solid life for myself and my family,” he said. “Getting married and having a son has changed my life. I’m a better person for it.”

As Stephen explained, during the initial process of proving his citizenship, he had a DNA test done and it proved unequivocally that his current stepdad was not his biological father.

“My dad was out there somewhere,” he assumed, “and I found a way to link up with my biological father. Amazingly, I found out he lived here in Bristol. Furthermore, I saw an old photo of my mom on Tony’s Facebook account, and I knew at that point, that he was my dad.”

Pickles, ever cautious and reserved, thought all of this was a scam initially, but that all changed after Stephen sent him a letter and photo of himself.

“Then, I knew he was my son,” he said. “I was so happy and relieved to know that Stephen was a part of me. I know he’s not proud of what he had to go through, but he’s off the streets now and in a ministry program. I’m really proud of him.”

Sitting right alongside his father during this interview at the Bristol Sip ’n Dip coffee shop, one of Pickles’ favorite hangouts, Stephen reflected on what life has taught him.

“I’ve done some wrongs in my life,” he admitted. “We’re not perfect. I made some bad decisions when I was young, but I was able to change my life. When I found out that my dad was not in good health, that gave me more reason to try to make up for lost time. I plan on coming back here to Bristol to visit whenever I have the opportunity. I heard the Fourth of Parade is something special to see.”

Now 69 years of age and battling health issues directly connected to his exposure to Agent Orange during his combat days, Pickles Ribeiro is thankful for many things, but most importantly, he’s delighted to have the new son he never knew by his side.

“I’m so happy we found each other,” he declared. “This is the greatest Christmas present I could have ever received.”

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