The Passing of a Giant

January 11 was marked by the passing of my Grandpa. Not a man of huge stature, but a giant in character and experience. As a boy, I spent a lot of my most precious memories with both he and my Grandma at their house in Prospect, OR. When I think back, as I often do, my memories of those times are very special and will be cherished for the rest of my life. Grandpa taught me how to fish, how to be patient and wait for them to get hungry, and even when I was sure that there were no fish in the river or lake, all of a sudden, just like he told me they would, they started biting, at that moment, the cold went away and I could hardly take my eyes off the tip of my pole. He also thought nothing of getting us up at the ungodly hour of 4 am to go sit in a cold boat in the middle of a colder lake with an even colder breeze blowing off the snow covered mountains. I don’t feel the cold or remember how tired and crabby I must have been, what I do have is the wonderful memories and experience of a time spent with a great man that only that kind of character building exercise can bring. There were many trips to Diamond Lake, or the Rogue River like that. When I’ve gone back to those spots, I’ve felt like he is with me, now I’m sure that his spirit will be. When I take my son on the lake, I’ll continue to think back to when I was in this same spot 27 or so years earlier, eating the fish bait that he assured me was actually Velveta cheese, (it is still hands down the best tasting fish bait I’ve ever eaten). Only now, I can see what kind of memories my son will have and that inspires me to make the effort to spend those times together. They are the things that will define me as I grow older and hopefully become a grandpa. His lessons were many, and not all that he taught were warm and fuzzy, some stung a little, but I see now what I didn’t see as a young man and I still pull from those experiences as I try to raise my son with the same values.
He lived a full life, filled with experiences and love that the rest of us can only hope to achieve.
He touched many generations. Dylan had a unique bond with him. They would talk baseball and baseball history. I sat and listened to a conversation about Shoeless Joe Jackson that amazed me. Dylan had just finished a book about his life in those times and during that conversation I think Grandpa was treated to some special memories he hadn’t visited in some time, and I learned a lot as well. For instance, I never knew that he was a pro in the minor leagues. How did I not know this? The answer is that he was a humble man who wanted to give you the benefit of his life experience without being boastful and the depth of his experience was staggering. I had a brief involvement with the Lions Club here in Eugene, and among those people, there were probably 5 who personally knew him, but all respected his achievements within that club. I’m sure the same can be said nationally as he was very active and his voice was heard and respected by too many to count. My prayers are with my Grandma now, I hope the love from her large family will help in this transition, but nothing will fill the gap left by this man and their 67 years of marriage. But maybe the knowledge that their future generations will carry on and use their fine example as a model of a life well lived can grant a kind of peace that doesn’t fill the void but makes it acceptable and easier.
He will be missed terribly but I’m comforted by the thought that Grandpa is resting in peace and finally comfortable again. Where ever he may be is surely a better place for having him.