My grandfather of 93 passed away on June 22nd. It was the phone call I've dreaded for some time now. The later years have been very tough and so, we are led to a place where it was okay to say goodbye, at least for now. He was the most devoted husband to Viv, father for 4, uncle, grandfather of 13 and great grandfather of 15. NOW that's a lot of living and loving.I was fortunate to travel to Chicago and spend this time with my family. My grandmother, Viv, is absolutely the most remarkable women. You would have thought we all needed to be there for her and perhaps we were. It felt more like she was there for each one of us. She greeted each of us with a joyful memory and told us just how much they loved us. She announced to every grandchild at the funeral home 'If your husbands love you as much as he loved me, you'll live happy lives'. Now how she could voice such words, backed with such feeling, and get it all out...words are beyond me. To was breath taking to see over 100 people at the funeral and like the pastor said 'That's not usual for a 90 yr old's funeral.' It just says a lot about what kind of a man he was.
My fondest memory was grandpa picking up my sisters and I from elementary school for lunch. He took us to McDonald's and then across the street to Lampert's Drug Store, gave each of us a buck and we got to pick out candy. What more could a kid want? I must have taken forever in that candy aisle.
And my grandmother's fondest memory was gramps racing to pick up grams from work to pick me up from 'Pretty School' a.k.a. preschool. To get there and I would say 'Why am I always the first one to leave?' Here they thought they were saving me from being at school any longer...shouldn't have surprised grams though...she's a socialite and I'm proud to take after her.
Thank you for all the memories and love. I loved being that unpredictable spark in your life.
