▁the ▁conduct or ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁Sym phony ▁Orchestra ; ▁under ▁a ▁stage ▁name , ▁he ▁also ▁led ▁jazz ▁dance ▁bands ▁and ▁hosted ▁his ▁own ▁radio ▁show . ▁Henry ▁Dam ski ▁died ▁at ▁age ▁ 5 9 ▁of ▁a ▁massive ▁heart ▁attack . ▁Ruth , ▁Dam ski ' s ▁mother , ▁ha iled ▁from ▁Rock ford , ▁Illinois . ▁She ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Ruth ie . ▁Her ▁father ▁moved ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁nine ▁brother ▁to ▁the ▁Washington ▁State , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁raised ▁in ▁the ▁North west . ▁The ▁move ▁would ▁later ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁divor ce , ▁yet ▁everyone ▁stayed ▁close ▁in ▁bringing ▁up ▁the ▁large ▁family , ▁now ▁extended , ▁so ▁that ▁ex es ▁continued ▁to ▁particip ate ▁even ▁with ▁their ▁new ▁sp ouses . ▁Dam ski ' s ▁mother ' s ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁included ▁ta vern ▁own ers , ▁brothers ▁who ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁l umber ▁mill s , ▁and ▁brothers ▁who ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁armed ▁services . ▁ ▁Dam ski ▁wrote ▁often ▁about ▁having ▁a ▁d ys lex ia ▁so ▁serious ▁that ▁reading ▁books ▁was ▁often ▁next ▁to ▁impossible : ▁his ▁father ▁read ▁al oud ▁to ▁him ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁school work ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁ 9 . ▁Despite ▁problems ▁with ▁his ▁eyes ight , ▁he ▁never theless ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁regular ▁piano ▁less ons ▁and ▁had ▁some ▁promise , ▁though ▁he ▁suddenly ▁gave ▁it ▁all ▁up ▁when ▁he ▁realized ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁baseball ▁pitch er — his ▁number ▁one