Valentine's Day, 2016, He was having chest pains. Nana called my Mom and Dad, and they rushed to his aid. Being a stubborn old man, Brown Blood, refused to help himself. That morning, he had a heart attack and didn't make it. I will forever hate Feb, 14th.
About an hour after he passed, I watched Simon and Michelle walk over to me at work, and I have never seen either of them so upset. Something was wrong, and I could feel my stomach doing flips. But I kept telling myself, everything was probably fine. Shaking his head no, Simon tried pulling the bucket I was carrying away. With a shaking voice, he told me "Your Grandfather...." and I was shaking my head in disbelief, no, no, no. He continued, "He had a heart attack....... He didn't make it." He didn't get all of his words out before I was sobbing intensely. I couldn't reason that one of the men who I spent my whole life looking up to, was gone. My co-workers, in a frenzy tried rushing me outback, and I felt like I was in a total daze, watching myself cry. 'No,' I kept thinking, 'This isn't right', I couldn't think. Michelle and Simon were devastated too, why wouldn't they be, If anyone knew Papa, they loved him. He did anything for everyone, and had so much love to give.
It wasn't until I walked through the front door of their house that it hit me even harder, My parents hugged me, and the whole family was there. Red faced, tears streaming down, we sat in silence as we all sobbed. It didn't seem right, and it still doesn't.
Then the phone calls started, and hearing 'Bob had some bad luck this morning, he had a heart attack and didn't make it' over and over again, does NOT get easier. I answered a phone call of someone who wasn't informed yet, and they asked for Bob, I had all I could do to tell them myself. Saying it wasn't and still isn't easy. The obituary. That came next, the writing and summation of his life. I couldn't take it, he is too grand of a man, and it didn't seem fair to have to sum up all of his wild adventures into a tiny written page.
Papa,
You went to the fair many years ago with one of your best friend, and I guess that's where it starts. Your friend knew Nana's friend, and so the four of you spent the evening together. You rode rides together, and Nana didn't think much of it. But then, you called her and asked her for a date. You were 19, and she was 17. You took her bowling, and then love blossomed. You took her to prom in your old 53' Ford, and you two were married with a family on the way before you knew it.
You had three kids, my Dad was one of them, Nana said he was an 'After thought' but not an accident. I'm glad you had this after thought, because I was born and able to spend time with you as a nearly perfect man, leading to the huge role you played in my life.
There is just no beginning to the memories I have with Him. he picked a 'stinking Benjamin' for me to give to my Mom, and he thought that was hilarious. He taught me and my sister how to slow dance at camp in preparation for Mom and Dad's re-wedding, it was a crisp evening, he had just gotten a record player and the stars were so bright. The first time I ever got home sick, all the way up to my prom where he drove myself and my date in his old, 53' Ford. One summer I went away for a trip for a month, with little to no contact with the outside world, and when I came back, I went into the camp where Nana and Papa both were, and the three of us cried. I know a month doesn't seem like a long time, but when you have contact with someone virtually at least one or more times a day, for most of your life, a month seems like forever. When I went off to school, he still kept up with the goings on, and anytime I would call him to ask how he was, he would say 'Oh, Nearly perfect'.
No the kicker is, Papa, that you always knew what to say, and how to cheer us up. Even if you didn't know what to say, you always had treats, York peppermint candies, or cookies that you would give out as a new talking subject. You had a fantastic sense of humor, and always had something to teach or share with us. There is a whole awful lot I am going to miss about you. Going to camp won't be the same without you walking around in your old flannel or plaid shirts carrying a cold Becks. I'm going to miss the way you loved listening to my school adventures, and I knew you were proud of me, you were proud of your whole family. And family to you, didn't mean just blood. Simon and Michelle, they are family, to us and to you, Becky, Nick and the kids, they were family to you. Travis, Val and Kady, and the list doesn't stop. If someone knew you and stuck around for more than a few days, they became family. People who you cared about, and helped out.
I am going to miss the way you, Dad and I would banter. I think that's what I am going to miss the most, is your mischief. You were always up to something.
Papa, This letter could go on for pages among pages, because how can I sum up my amazing 20 year relationship with my nearly perfect grandfather? I can't. You were my Dad's best friend, my Mom's in-law, but you were always just a second Dad to her, you were one of my best friend growing up, and even in my adult-hood I always wanted to make you proud. We all did.
I wasn't ready to say goodbye, none of us were. But we love you none the less, and will miss you forever.
