Grandpa...

My grandpa was one of the most incredible people I have ever known. He was kind-hearted, hard-working, caring, strong, smart, a true gentleman, and a dedicated family man. I am fortunate to have been close to him all my life and am blessed to have countless memories of him. I will never forget him dressing up like Santa and surprising my cousins and I on Christmas; teaching me how to tie my shoes so that the laces formed a perfectly horizontal bow; loving to hear him talk like Donald Duck; going to plays and choir performances at the University every year; how he was always dressed so spiffy and classy, even if he had nowhere to go; teaching me the importance of being a conscious driver; sharing his passion for knowledge and education; bragging about me after watching one of my dance performances; how he disliked foolishness (in particular, some of the recent fashion "trends" and the "garbage" that was on TV); watching him and Grandma walk hand-in-hand and always admiring the love they shared for so many years; dancing with me on my wedding day; frequent dinner dates with him and Grandma; watching him perform on stage and sing in the choir, including his last choir performance in December... I could go on forever...

And I am so proud that my children were blessed to have a wonderful Great-Grandpa who showed how much he loved them just by the look on his face when they entered the room! I will always remember Grandpa holding Jaden and Elijah on their birth-days; hearing him sing to them with that incredible singing voice while they stared up in amazement; watching him play with and tickle them while they all squealed with excitement; seeing Jaden put on Grandpa's big shoes and try to walk around in them; bouncing the boys on his leg as he sang "Deetsy Deetsy..."; seeing him sneak Jaden extra cookies; and how he sat them on his lap to read stories.

On March 2, we lost one of the most incredible people in our lives, but the memories are truly precious. What he has taught us about love, life, faith, friendship, humanity and family will continue to live on in our hearts and will be shared with others through our own actions and interactions each and every day. We are so blessed to have had this wonderful man in our lives and I look forward to honoring his memory and continuing to share memories of him with my children forevermore.

(Here is a beautiful poem I found which speaks of Grandpa perfectly...)

Grandfather
Author: Unknown

Since I was a little child,
In all that I've been through;
You've always been my hero,
No one stood as tall as you.

You were the one who took the time,
To teach what I needed to learn;
The lessons in life you shared with me,
You shared with love and concern.

I loved you as a little child,
And now that I am grown;
I share those lessons you taught me;
With children of my own.

Generation to generation,
I'll pass on your legacy;
I'll tell of my loving Grandfather,
And all that you mean to me.