Long Lost brothers

Edward Waites would never have been interviewed by the local press if he hadn’t flown to Lake Tahoe in December just in time for a major blizzard — a 4-second appearance which was just enough time for his long-lost brother, Randy Waites, to recognize him.

Randy, 55, of Lodi, California, was watching KCRA Channel 3 in December when he noticed Edward’s last name and halted the show. His daughter, Cambria, stated she felt they looked alike, so he questioned if there was a family connection. She began her search for Edward Waites on the internet, and within 20 minutes, she had dropped a shocker on her father. They had the same father, Donald E. Waites.

Randy’s father abandoned him and his mother just a few months after his birth in 1966. Randy never saw his brother or knew anything else about his family.

Randy’s younger half-brother, Edward, 54, was just as surprised as Randy to hear that he had a brother, and they met in person earlier this month at Randy’s home after getting to know each other over the phone. Edward told the Washington Post that he “I’d always wanted an older brother,” Randy said, adding that their first meeting “seemed so natural, I felt like I’d known him my whole life. We clicked immediately.” They realized that they both have a passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, fishing, and they work in similar jobs.

Randy admitted that even though he knew he was loved as a child, it was hard for him to grow up as a boy without a father. He went on to say that as an adult, he had stopped worrying about not having a father and resolved to live his own happy life. 

Donald Waites died in 2009, and Edward described him as “my hero and always there for me,” so learning what Randy had missed was difficult. He informed Randy that he wanted to apologize on their father’s behalf, but Randy told the Post that he doesn’t “blame anyone – I’m beyond that now.” 

I’ve been hoping to meet someone like Ed my entire life. All I want to do is be the best brother I can.