Late father buys son first beer on his 21st birthday

TAUNTON, Mass. (WBZ) - Death did not prevent a father from celebrating his son’s 21st birthday.

“The morning of my birthday, we went out to breakfast and ordered that first beer and it was actually like he was there buying me my first beer,” Matt Goodman said.

It was unexpected because his father, John Goodman, passed away from cancer nearly six years ago.

“He was just the life of the party,” he said.

John Goodman gave his daughter Casey Goodman a $10 bill and asked her to save it for her brother’s 21st birthday so he could buy his son his first legal drink.

Casey Goodman kept the secret and gave the money to her brother the night before his birthday.

“It’s just something so typical that my dad would have done,” she said. “Him and my dad were so close and he’s had such a hard time anytime that a monumental moment comes up in his life that my dad’s not there.

Matt Goodman said it was nice to know that his dad thought of something he could do for a moment that he would not be able to be physically part of.

He shared the moment on Twitter and the post went viral, with many relating to his pain of losing a loved one.

“Even if he didn’t get this huge response, it’s something that he would remember for the rest of his life and it’s just been incredible. I have no words,” Casey Goodman said.

Matt Goodman’s choice of beer was a Bud Light, his dad’s favorite. When Budweiser heard his story, the company sent him hundreds of beers.

“I couldn’t believe how many people were reaching out with heartfelt messages and saying ‘cheers to my dad’ and saying they were raising a glass to him tonight. It was just kind of awesome to see all the response people gave,” Matt Goodman said.