To anyone reading,
I am sorry to say that I just heard from Lisa that my grandfather has died. Fortunately, he died in his sleep and without any major illnesses that we know of so it was most likely painless. However, I must say that for me (and I know many of the family and friends) this time will most certainly be difficult. As I write this I cannot stop the tears that began the moment I heard the bad news.
I really wish I could have made it for the funeral but it has already taken place. Hopefully for my part, family and friends can read what I have to say about this amazing person I am fortunate enough to call grandpa. To me, he has always been my mentor, role model and hero.
I don't ever remember a moment when he was angry. He was always the most forgiving and caring person I knew. If I was naughty he would shake it off or laugh. If I was demanding and wanted something he would put everything else aside to please me. I always felt like a prince around grandpa.
Whatever I wanted he would do. I remember visiting Peterborough one year. I had a lot of toy cars but nowhere to use them or play with them. When I complained to grandpa he just said, "Well, let's see what we can do about that." He built me a wooden ramp that I played with for many years after that; racing my cars along it. Another year I wanted a fort. So grandpa got some wood and we made a tent-like fort in which I could play. The problem was that mosquitoes liked it, too. It eventually became somewhat of a shed.
Waking up in the morning in Peterborough was always a treat. I would smell the fresh food that grandpa was cooking. It always made my mouth water. It always seemed like he made the best food on Earth. I would always ask him, "Grandpa, how do you make that?" He would simply reply, "It's a secret. I take a little bit of this and a little of that and throw in some of this." It's so funny because even though he told me very little about what he was cooking, I still remember it all to this day.
Grandpa knew everything, too. There wasn't anything he didn't know about. If I said, "Grandpa, I'm studying electricity." He would reply, "Oh, I can teach you a few things about that, if you like." I don't think he has ever wasted his time. How can one man know so much? From flying, to electricity, to food, carpentry, automotive just to name a few. I know when I was younger I took my studies for granted but I have changed a lot now. I often think about him and what he would do or like when I choose anything. Not because of any fear but because I have and will always have such a deep admiration of him. I hate to think that anything I might have done would ever make him feel any less about him. But know grandpa, that would never be true. He has always supported me in any he possibly could.
I remember fishing for lobster or crab in the canal in Cape Coral. It is one of the only thing I remember from that trip because I was only five years old. I also learned to ride a bicycle there (though I don't remember it very well).
Grandpa would take me to the zoo every time I visited grandma and grandpa in Peterborough. If I go back there I will no doubt remember almost every (older) inch of it. I never played video games in Peterborough. I never needed to. Those were the most amazing times for me and I hope grandpa enjoyed those times, too.
Grandpa was the most honest, caring, loving, loyal, tender, honorable, wonderful, intelligent, wise and utterly fascinating person in my whole life. He will always hold this coveted position in my heart. If he taught me one thing in life, it would be this:
He taught me the values and morals which make a hero, an idol, a role model, an icon, a teacher, a guardian, a father and most of all a grandfather. I will always hold him at the forefront of my memories and he will always have the most wonderful place in my heart. I never had the chance to meet my other grandfather and I am sad that it turned out that way. However, I feel so fortunate that I did have this most amazing person to call "grandpa" and I have never felt want or need around him.
I hope, that wherever grandpa is now; that he will be enjoying himself and that he will always hold me in his memory as I hold him. I have a million memories of grandpa and I am so sad that I can have no more. But I will thank him each and every day because he has enriched my life so much that no one could fathom.
Grandpa, I love you, I miss you, I regret not spending more time with you. You are the best grandpa this only grandson of yours could ever have and I will always look up to you and live up to you.
Your grandson always,
Scott
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I remember bead curtains and sleeping in the living room; driving a little beatle car with a daisy up and down the curves of Grandpa and Grandma's furniture; embroideries of flowers and butterflies and mugs that you could 'feel' the people and things printed on them. I remember the dock stuck on the lawn and forget-me-nots growing under them; I remember you and I feeding the farmer's cows crabapples behind the fence; I remember the brick 'chimney' thing grandpa burned leaves and grass in.
I remember finding salamanders beside the house and seeing the little black things squirm; I remember crying when I had bloodsuckers on my legs.
I remember waterlilies in the lake and the neighbour's labrador retriever that would go swimming.
I remember the log in the lake that the boat would go past, and a tree that hung over the water.
I remember the many old-style clocks they had, and the 'money tree' plant they had with leaves that looked like silver dollars. I remember the conch that grandpa told me you could hear the ocean in.
I also remember grandpa telling me that wolves are just 'big friendly dogs'.
I remember grandma telling us we couldn't have something, and grandpa would laugh and give it to us anyway and tell us not to tell her.
I remember pork chops with apple sauce, and many variations of eggs.
I remember making a wooden boat. It wasn't a good looking boat, but still.
I also remember the big rocks out front that I would chip using other rocks.
I also remember always wanting to go to the zoo in peterborough, and that you wanted to buy that house one day. I think it's changed now, but we still have the memories.
I also remember grandpa teasing us with the garage door opener.
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