Dallyn Pavey Uosikkinen. Photos by Tessa Marie Images
The founder of Dish PR & Photography remembers her father and searches for answers surrounding his disappearance after 40 years.
When the 40th anniversary of her father’s disappearance coincided with his 90th birthday, Dallyn Pavey Uosikkinen hoped to finally learn something—anything—about his mysterious disappearance. The veteran PR rep and wife of Hooters drummer David Uosikkinen also has a message for her dad: I love you, and I miss you.
MLT: What do you remember about your father?
DPU: I most remember being a little girl in Manhattan, him putting me to bed and me never wanting to let him go. I was 5 or 6 when my parents divorced, and he stopped coming around. I was the only kid I knew who didn’t have a dad.
MLT: When did you see him next?
DPU: At 15, I was on a mission to reconnect with him. I managed to find his brother, who invited me for Thanksgiving. One night, when everyone was in bed, I went through an address book, which got me to a friend of Dad’s. It took about a month to talk to my father—and he sent for me right away. It started out as great fun, hanging out with him at his home in Coconut Grove, Florida. Over the years, his houses got bigger and the cars smaller and faster. Visits with him were all about fancy champagne. It got uncomfortable when I was 22 and he had an 18-year-old girlfriend.
MLT: When was the last time you saw your dad?
DPU: He was determined to marry the girlfriend, and I was invited to join them on July 4,1982, on a weekend trip to the Bahamas. But I decided not to go. He was going to close on a house in the Bahamas, but he never made it to the destination.
MLT: What are the theories?
DPU: Some people think he took his money, his new wife and disappeared to get away from Griselda Blanco, a leader of the Medellin Cartel. But I don’t think his young wife could do that. She was too close to her family. Others say it could’ve been pirates in the Bermuda Triangle—cigarette boats like his were a target. I think Griselda’s posse got to them.
MLT: What are your hopes?
DPU: Dad had connections in this area. I’d just like to find one person who knows what happened. Miami Vice was more real than most people know.
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