He's Gone.....

As the oldest grandchild, when I first started talking at the tender age of one, I had the task of giving my grandfather his “official name”. Paw-Paw is what came out, and that name is what 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren have called him over the last 35 years.

Paw-Paw had a great love for life, both human and animal.

While Gram and Paw-Paw had many pets that were loved by the entire family, there was one cat who, to put it mildly, terrorized every single one of us. This cat was Jake. He hated most people, barely tolerated some, but due to Paw-Paw’s gentle spirit and patience, Jake would happily curl up in his lap and nobody else’s.

Paw-Paw also had an affinity for birds and always had quite a flock and a few regulars in the backyard. His ability to identify and accurately whistle bird calls was amazing and led to Cori’s special nickname for him of Tweety Bird. That reference brought a smile to his face many times even during his last days.

As kids, we knew that we could sneak into the cookie tin and nab a few extras without fear of being accused of stealing the cookie from the cookie jar, since Paw-Paw was the ultimate “cookie monster”. Chances were, he had snuck a few as well, so we were all guilty, and would never rat each other out to Gram.

It wasn’t all about keeping secrets from Gram, it was mostly about having fun. Whether Paw-Paw was singing songs to us on the porch swing, challenging the older kids to a card game, playing dominoes with Jake (who beat him fair and square) or being raced down the hallway in his wheelchair by Luke, he always had a smile on his face and made quality time with us a priority.

Quality time, however, did not just mean fun and games. Paw-Paw believed that every experience was an opportunity to learn and grow. His meticulous attention to detail permeated throughout every aspect of his life. He managed to nearly complete a built from scratch, complete with electrical wiring, dollhouse, that was a replica of Gram’s childhood home. Some of the grandchildren were fortunate enough to be his apprentices and work alongside him on this highly skilled labor of love.

Gram and Paw-Paw also enjoyed taking us on trips. But these were not your typical vacations. With hourly itineraries, journals to record daily activities, and maybe even a class or lecture to supplement your learning, these trips were high energy and we often returned home more tired than when we started, but we always learned a lot and were grateful for the experience.

One of the greatest memories that all the grandchildren share, were our talks with Paw-Paw. We talked about education, politics, religion, finances, our dreams, life, and death. We all took away different lessons from these discussions.

The two most important lessons for me were that education is vital, and to live an authentic life full of love and laughter. Sarah was inspired to get her masters degree in Speech Pathology and specialize in geriatric care. She hopes one day to find the kind of love that he shared with Gram. Timothy felt that Paw-Paw’s wisdom and guidance encouraged him to be a better person. For Cori, Paw-Paw was a role model in both life and love, she hopes to one day have a marriage as wonderful as his and Gram’s. Paw-Paw’s experience as an engineer helped Ryan decide his future college plans and career. Lauren felt that Paw-Paw inspired her to keep trying, and encouraged her to follow her dreams no matter what. Luke enjoyed Paw-Paw’s stories and always knew he could turn to him if he was feeling confused.

In Paw-Paw’s last days he continued to make a positive impact on our family by asking Tim to make sure that he kept the family spirit alive. Well, Paw-Paw, no worries. Your spirit and the spirit of our family will live on, Thank You for all you have given us, we miss you dearly, and in the words of Luke, we all love you so darn much.