‘Best Dad’ still on the job for kids, grandkids

This year’s Best Dad in Maricopa contest was an amazing cross-section of all dads in town. There were young dads, old dads, stepdads and granddads, all with special stories of taking on big responsibilities and going above and beyond. The top three were rewarded with packages from Karsten’s Ace Hardware and other prizes.

Robert Zubia’s adult daughters did not tell him they were nominating him as the Best Dad. So, he was shocked to find out he was a finalist in the vote-driven competition at InMaricopa.com and bowled over when he was declared the winner.

“Unbelievable!” he said. “Those little brats.”

A long-haul trucker who has lived in Cobblestone Farms for just a year, he was on his way to Washington for Father’s Day weekend when notified. It’s a job he’s worked for 15 years.

“I couldn’t do it when they were young because I’d be gone all the time,” Zubia said.

His youngest daughter Valarie McRoberts, 31, said her father wasn’t just the greatest dad but the greatest human on earth.

“He stepped up to raise me and my sister when my mom had left,” she said. “He worked two jobs, and when I had my own family, he took us in, all four of us, and never once complained.”

Starting a family when he was 18, Zubia, now 55, said being a single dad to two little girls at such a young age was “hardcore survival.”

“My youngest one, the mother left when she was 2 weeks old, just an infant. And the other was 4 or 5 years old. It wasn’t easy,” he said. “They’d have the Mother/Daughter Banquet at school, and I would show up there. They’d be like, ‘This is for the mothers and daughters,’ and I’d be like, ‘Well, I am the mother.’ I didn’t want her to miss out.”

Family was able to help a little with childcare, but he was careful about where he left them. In the early years he had neighbors he trusted to look after them while he worked.

“That was also scary,” he said. “I had to do what I had to do.”

That meant finding a balance of work that fit their circumstances.

“You name it,” he said. “I worked as a pharmaceutical technician, construction, any jobs I could that would blend so I could work two jobs here and there and make ends meet. It was brutal.”

It paid off with memorable family vacations. Now, he’s glad they remember those times and appreciate the sacrifices that went into their raising.

“I was afraid they forgot,” he said. “Like, ‘Ah, the old man, he’s useless now.’”

Obviously, not so useless, as he helps with his five grandchildren and ailing mother while donating to Maricopa causes and preparing to marry and gain three stepchildren. They moved to Maricopa a year ago from California.

“I’m so glad we made the move,” Zubia said. “The grandkids love the schools out here. They’re making friends. I’m glad that everyone’s happy now.”

 

2nd place Demitri Esparza

Demitri Esparza can relate to the pressures of being a single father to a small child. A 2010 graduate of Maricopa High School, he was engaged to the mother of his son Abraham when she was killed in a traffic collision. Abraham was two months shy of his first birthday.

“Though extremely heartbroken, Demitri has powered forward, never feeling sorry for himself,” said his uncle, Ed Esparza, who nominated him for Best Dad in Maricopa. “He works longs hours to ensure he builds a good future for himself and Abraham. All Demitri’s free time is spent with Abraham at home, camping, the zoo, the lake, doing the things the three of them loved doing, making sure Abraham knows his mother.”

Friends called him “a beautiful person.” They worked hard to keep up daily votes to show their appreciation for his dedication as a young father.

“Most young men would have walked away,” Ed Esparza said. “That thought never entered Demitri’s mind.”

 

3rd place Aaron Bell

Rancho El Dorado resident Aaron Bell had a large family base cheering him on in the “competition” for Best Dad in Maricopa. His nomination came in the form of a video created by his daughter Macee.

“My dad is not only a great husband, grandpa, but also a great dad,” she said. “He married his high school sweetheart at a young age and soon had five kids. I know what you’re thinking: ‘Wow, what a handful.’ My dad loved it.”

Macee touted the fact her father was the breadwinner in the family while still making time for the kids’ extracurricular activities and supporting his wife through several surgeries.

“When I was young, my granddad sat me down and said, ‘Son, they don’t make a hearse with luggage racks,’ Bell said. “So, invest in things that last: family, community and most of all your children. When things like this happen, I see that philosophy holds weight.”

Our other great nominations