Grumpy Grampy

My grandfather "Grampy", or "Grumpy" as I called him when I was little because of his strong, quiet demeanor that I didn't quite understand yet, passed away on Thursday, November 15th from cancer which he was diagnosed with in January. He passed peacefully in his sleep at home surrounded by family.

When we lived in Virginia we regularly would take the 3 hour drive up to Pennsylvania to visit my Nana and Grampy. We had our ritual in the mornings. He would bring his "Grumpy" self downstairs with his hair sticking up and I'd laugh and tease him about it, and he'd laugh. As the years went by I grew to understand his understated and sarcastic humor that made him seem deviously funny.

When I would visit by myself, without my parents, he would take me to his favorite restaurant where I would order the open faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Then I would cut it up into little pieces and mix it all together. I'm not sure if I learned that from him, but I remember that was the place it started.

Over the years as we moved away I didn't get to visit him as much, usually only every few years, but even though we spent most of the time apart, we still picked up right where we left off and I'm thrilled that he made it to my wedding and I was happy to have joined him and all my mom's family in Rhode Island for my Nana and Grampy's 35th wedding anniversary in 2005.

Mostly I'll remember his kindness and his care for others, loving life and the people in it.