missy bartlett: yes, i think he was. yes.rea canning: and when he grew up, joe sonnier went to medical school, had a successful career, and a marriage that gave him a beautiful family. what was he like as a dad? dallas sonnier: it was great growing up with him as a dad. i will admit, we were a handful. you know, three boys in his house growing up, and he handled it great. he was able to identify our strengths and really encourage us, you know, and push us to be the best we could. he kind of had one rule. if you made a's and you were respectful person, that you really didn't have any other rules. and so we were able to learn self-control and respect for other people by having a longer leash than, say, most kids, because he trusted us. and we had a blast. we had a blast growing up. andrea canning: philip prestwood lived in the same neighborhood as the sonniers. he credits joe with helping him turn his life around. at one point in my life, my dad wasn't in the picture. and i didn't adjust to that very well. he took me in as a so