Boxing’s Arum continues to grieve son’s death

Bob Arum had a tough decision to make.

In late August, the son of the Hall of Fame boxing promoter was reported missing in a remote area of North Cascades National Park in Washington state. John Arum's body was found days later, apparently after the 49-year-old fell some 300 feet while hiking Storm King Mountain.

At some point, the chairman of Top Rank had to return to work. Top Rank is promoting the Nov. 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Arum also has a fight Dec. 4 in Anaheim, Calif., with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. headlining at the Honda Center.

Two weeks ago, Arum decided it was time to come back. He continues to grieve, but he knew he had to try to move on.

"I love to promote," Arum, 79, said. "Frankly, it's been very therapeutic. I've been so busy with work, I don't get to dwell on my loss. But he's in my thoughts every day."

Arum and his family hope to gain some closure in Seattle when a memorial service is held for his son Saturday with the funeral Sunday. Arum is grateful to the park service for recovering his son's body and allowing the family to give his son a proper burial.

"It's very important," Arum said. "We greatly appreciate the recovery attempt by the rangers. It was very dangerous, and we didn't want them to risk their own lives. They are true professionals."

Arum left the kickoff promotion for the Pacquiao-Margarito fight on Aug. 31 after learning of his son's disappearance.

John Arum had been declared missing when he didn't return to his Seattle home Aug. 29.

Bob Arum left the media tour, went to Washington state, came back to Las Vegas after learning of his son's death when his body was found Sept. 3 and didn't make his first public appearance until Sept. 11 when he attended Top Rank's fight card at the Palms.

He accepted wave after wave of well-wishers that night, a trend which had continued from earlier in the week, both at his home, and at Temple Beth Shalom, where the Jewish High Holy Days were underway.

"The support has been overwhelming," Arum said. "People have been very respectful and considerate."

Arum was particularly touched by Pacquiao, who announced he was dedicating the fight in John Arum's memory.

But had he given himself enough time to grieve? Arum ultimately was convinced by two close friends -- Sol Kerzner and Jerry Levin -- that he needed to get back to his normal routine.

"They said, 'Spend a week (grieving), then come back and do what you love to do,' " Arum said. "They had been through a similar experience -- Sol's son had been killed in a helicopter crash, and Jerry's son had been murdered. They knew the pain I was going through."

Arum took their advice. While he still struggles to deal with his loss, he said with each day, he does a little better.

"People say with time ... that's not true," he said, pausing in mid-sentence. "You lose a son, a daughter, you're losing a part of yourself."

For a parent, nothing is more devastating than burying a child. As Arum struggles to come to grips with his situation, he does take comfort in the fact that his son, an avid outdoorsman who was an environmental lawyer in Seattle and an advocate for protecting nature, died in the mountains he loved.

"I could somehow rationalize it," Arum said, noting his son had set a personal goal of climbing the 100 tallest peaks in Washington state and was 18 shy of his goal when he died trying to scale Storm King.

"He was doing what he loves. But he was doing something dangerous, and the danger finally caught up with him."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.