Well, I'm sad to post that my grandfather passed away last week, but happy that I know he's in a much better place now, with no pain, full memory, and no broken hip. At 93 years old he had lived a long and rich life. He had grown up on his family's farm, studied and graduated from what is now the Tyndale Seminary of Toronto, went to China for 2 years during WWII to serve as an anesthetist for a quaker medical group, returned to Canada where he met and married my fantastic grandmother and had 4 kids (one of which is my dad), was Executive Chef at the Toronto Club, and then sold real estate for over 30 years. He was always up for a joke and one of his favorites was to ask if we wanted more of our drink, and if we said "just half a cup" he would bring this out:
It's now sitting on my kitchen shelf waiting for the next time I have a guest who asks for "just half a cup" ; ) He always loved going up to their cottage and I remember going out in the canoe and him paddling me around Deer Lake on many occasions. He was always up for shenanigans: using the downstairs phone to call us up in the kitchen, or the buzzer upstairs to scare us to death when we were playing in the basement, or a toboggan ride down the "big hill" in the park behind their house.
I like this picture (below) of my grandpa, hanging out at the cottage's fire pit, passing along some master chef advice on the proper roasting of hot dogs. This was when my brother was small, hanging with his "Camper". Grandpa will be missed.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
mixed blessings: 1914-2007
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5 comments:
Juliette:
I'm sorry to hear that your Grandpa has left the earth, but yet is Home at last playing tricks on all of Heaven, maybe? He sounds like a dear!
Hi Jules, Just checked in and got caught up. I know you will miss your grandpa but isn't it nice to know you will see him again. Beth
I remember as a kid my first formula 1 car in the back yard. It was a peddle car, but very fast. Then there was the bike and my only hockey game in toronto.(leafs beat detroit 6 to 1)we rode home on the subway.(strange when ya have a oldsmobile) But that F1 car was a feared thing by all the nieghbors as was me and the bike.As Dad knew we liked being with him ,he thought it only logical to engage us in real estate ativities.Delivering 1000,s of calenders, or delivering yard/meter sticks to subdivisions. I still remember those things. On one side it said"it the service between the signs that counts" On the other side it said"A measure of success" One day when I was too young to remember how old I was I snuck out after dinner and hid in dads car as I knew he had an appointment late at night. Once I knew it was too far for dad to go back home I appeared. Well dad phoned mom from the house for sale and all was almost cool. I never did that again, but I think we went to the cottage more.Dad is the true measure of success.
well said. i like the memories - hadn't heard the sneaking out one before, lol
Do you want to hear stories such as Dave stealing dads oldsmobile to go to North Carolina and new orleans?(blame lucy) Dad was a great man.What a life!
Where is urbana? Does an opel have wheels and is it green?
Can a car be a marina? smiles.
Whats a rueben sandwhich?
Dad had a great sense of humour,one incredible wife and 4 kids. I was lucky to be one of them them.
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