A Life Well-Lived

These are just some thoughts I had written to be read at my Granddaddy's funeral on Wednesday...

Granddaddy's obituary

Thank you all so much for being here today. I am unable to be there, but appreciate the opportunity to have my words included in the service.


I know that there is nothing I can say to soften the grief that has come with the passing of Granddaddy. I only hope to conjure up great memories of a man whose life we can certainly celebrate on this day. He was caring, funny, unique and smart. He loved his family and was proud of his kids and grandkids. Deciding to name our first-born son “Daniel” was a no-brainer. I could only hope it would bring him the same strength and honor that it symbolized with my Granddaddy and my Father.

For me, there are a lot of things that will remind me of Granddaddy. I will remember Granddaddy every Christmas, when I hang all of those hand crafted popsicle-stick sleds that we received annually, on my tree. Or, when he decided to try his hand at woodcutting and made me a “Hook ‘em Horns” ornament that I never had the heart to tell him was really the “hang loose” hand sign. Or, when I pass by my wedding invitation, hanging on the wall, decoupaged onto a piece of wood that he had previously used to decoupage a five-foot rattlesnake my Mom had killed with a shovel, with beautiful bluebonnets along the side painted by Nanny . The man did love to decoupage, didn’t he? Or, I can remember him fondly when I see any of the wooden blocks he sent to me or my family, with our names glued to them in little wooden letters. And, should I ever forget whether I received something from him or someone else, I can always check it for his return address label. I’ll always laugh when I recall how he thought I was sending him photos and cards from China, when I really live in Japan. I’ll never forget seeing his and Nanny’s smiling, proud faces at my high school sporting events, high school graduation, and summer little league games. I will remember him when I’m creating a scrapbook for my children, as he did for his children and grandchildren. I’ll always treasure the photo of him dancing with Aunt Janice at my wedding reception and the photo of him and Nanny at their 40th wedding anniversary. I aspire to have a marriage like that. I’ll never look at a gourd without wondering if it would make a good birdhouse and I’ll think of him when I see turtles, baseball games, slingshots, Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, and those little “Tommy tee-tee” toys.

Coming of age during the Great Depression, and serving in World War II, Granddaddy was a member of our greatest generation. As an American, and especially as a member of the military family, I am inspired by that generation – their values of duty, honor, country, family, service and responsibility to oneself. They lived through an incredibly difficult time, then went off to fight an incredibly difficult war, and returned home to build America into a superpower. They were modest about their achievements and were quietly successful. We can all learn countless lessons from that greatest generation, if only we take the time to listen to them before that time runs out. Although I had heard most of his stories many times before, I will now and forever miss them. I know Nanny was happy to finally see him in Heaven and I can only hope that they enjoy the light show up there as much as they enjoyed the one in downtown Las Vegas. It must be breath-taking.