Hi Oppo

"area man" (hurrburgring) 02/06/2015 at 19:32 • Filed to: None

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I haven't been around much this week - my grandfather passed away on Sunday night and I've been in Boston for the services. Here's a picture of him with his first car. No one knows the date but we're thinking 1938-40.

They don't call it the greatest generation for nothing - he was born in 1921, came of age in the depression, and signed up for the Navy the day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He served on an oiler in the South Pacific and received six battle stars. His proximity to history is absolutely incredible - I've already !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! a month after the bomb was dropped, of which there are many, but today I found out that when Japanese officials boarded the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay for the official surrender to General MacArther, his ship was anchored right there too. He probably watched it happen through a pair of binoculars or something. Amazing.

At the funeral today my cousin mentioned there should be an honor guard, and sure enough three officers (not just regular enlisted) came and draped an American flag over the casket near the end of the mass while a bugler played Taps and a naval helicopter hovered above the church. Then they folded it up and presented it to my aunt, who had been his caretaker for the last ten years, and thanked her for his service on behalf of the Navy. It was one of the most touching things I have ever seen, and you bet your ass I bawled like a baby.

After getting back from the war, he settled down with my Grandma outside of Boston and had five kids, one of whom is my father. He worked in the town's school system for almost 40 years, rising from a math teacher to principal, where he was known as a man of generosity, common sense and steadfast integrity.

That's not to say he was a saint - my uncle, the oldest child, shared a story last night about how my grandpa had the kids in the woodworking class at school make a beating stick for him to punish my dad and uncles with, because the ones my grandma got from the backyard kept on breaking. It was a different time, and none of them near any physical or emotional scars from it, but it's a little tough to reconcile that with the kindly old grandpa I knew. Also my uncles are a goddamn handful, even now in their sixties, so it's impossible to judge him on that.

Anyway, in his retirement he loved to go down cellar and tinker with things. The man probably owns every type of tool in existence, plus three spares for each one. I want them all, for practical and sentimental reasons, but that's not fair and I don't have room. So with the family's blessing I grabbed this old push drill, which is made even more special by the fact that he engraved his initials on it.

Rest in peace, pop. 93 years is a good long life, and he lived it with humor and grace.

$kaycog > area man 02/06/2015 at 19:40

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My condolences.

AJ Feldman (alecmets2011) > area man 02/06/2015 at 19:40

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Dat fro...

area man > $kaycog 02/06/2015 at 19:42

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thanks $kay. It's been a rough week but the one thing he loved most of all was having the whole family together, so we took comfort in that. After the wake last night all the kids and grand kids went back to his house (the same house they grew up in), and it was the first time we had all been to the house together in probably 20 years.

area man > AJ Feldman (alecmets2011) 02/06/2015 at 19:43

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haha that's my cousin. It's real and inexplicable. But according to him, "I don't even need a pickup line. I just ask if they want to touch my hair. They always do."

pip bip - choose Corrour > area man 02/06/2015 at 19:50

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93 is a great innings.

my condolences.

area man > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/06/2015 at 19:51

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thanks pip

vdub_nut: scooter snob > area man 02/06/2015 at 20:04

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My condolences, man.

My gramps is much the same way. Just celebrated his 90th a few weeks ago, and he had open heart surgery back in... October? Man, I know it's gonna happen, and I will NOT be ready. My grandpa has one of those push-screwdrivers too. Both of them do, I think.

McPherson > area man 02/06/2015 at 20:08

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My sympathies go out to you and the family. The Great Generation is disappearing fast unfortunately. You had the chance to get to know him, which is super.

That first car of his was a 1940 Olds btw.

area man > vdub_nut: scooter snob 02/06/2015 at 20:09

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Thanks, it's always tough. He had a bad stroke about 8 years ago but recovered pretty damn well - lost his peripheral vision (and drivers license consequently) and was physically a bit more feeble but there were no cognitive impairments. I knew he was probably not going to make it to 100, but I'm getting married next year and I was hoping he might make it to that. But that's life. Hope your grandpa is doing better.

area man > McPherson 02/06/2015 at 20:10

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you da best

$kaycog > area man 02/06/2015 at 20:14

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Twenty years..........wow. Your grandfather would be so pleased you were all together. Good memories.

area man > $kaycog 02/06/2015 at 20:17

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Yeah it was a bit like a movie for a few hours there.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > area man 02/06/2015 at 20:19

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He's doing pretty well, thanks. Moved into a senior living facility, but other than that, happy and mostly healthy. That stinks about the wedding thing, man.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > area man 02/06/2015 at 20:31

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My condolences. Never easy. My grandfather rode Nuke subs in the 70s. He's currently 63 so I expect a lot more time with him.

jkm7680 > area man 02/06/2015 at 21:09

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Condolences, he sounded like an amazing person.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > area man 02/06/2015 at 21:14

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Condolences. It truly saddens me to see the golden generation pass away in my lifetime.

Ps. That first photo; our grandfathers were much more handsome than we will ever be.

area man > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 02/06/2015 at 21:53

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for serious!

Agrajag > area man 02/06/2015 at 22:07

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I'm sorry for your loss. He seemed like a great man, as many of that generation were.

Rico > area man 02/06/2015 at 22:12

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Sorry for your loss, he lived quite a fulfilling life and I appreciate his service in our military. May he find peace in the great beyond.

area man > Rico 02/06/2015 at 22:53

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thanks man

jetpilotyeah > area man 02/07/2015 at 03:00

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youre Gramps was badass man. Sorry to hear about the loss. My condolences. Grief is funny in that right now its all the pain and immediate loss but trust me when the pain boils away and you can bear the memories again.....you will think of all the life lessons, fun times and amazing moments that his legacy is to you.

Trust me 20 years on i still hear my gramdma's particular "hello!" As we walked into her house and the smell of her potted flowers and plants...especially the lilacs in her front yard.

She taught me so much as a kid that i never even thought had sunk in.....until I got older. I miss her. I think she would have gotten a kick about my life and career.

Cheers mate. It will all be OK.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > area man 02/09/2015 at 11:35

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A great man. I'm glad you got to know him for so many years.