Eulogy for a Grandfather

When I first started trying to plan out this eulogy for my Grandfather it really seemed impossible. He fought for our country, raised four children, ran his own business, and could fix anything. My grandpa was my hero so summarizing his life in a few words seemed like a fruitless effort. While I still believe this I am going to do my best to do him justice, and hopefully show you a little bit of the person he was. He was a caring person but he knew how to stand up for what he believed in and I think everyone here has a good memory of grandpa that they could share. I think we have all had a piece of us taken away but we can rest easy knowing he is in a much better place.

When I reflect on my time over the past few years with him, I remember meaningful conversations and a lot of jokes being shared. He had a great sense of humor, and I felt like I could talk to him about anything. He was a shoulder to lean on, a friend to rely on, and a rock for our whole family. I think about family values and how they aren’t the most important thing to people anymore. My family has always been close and always stuck together. My grandpa’s pride and joy was his family. He took care of every one of us in one way or another. He showed us how to fix things and how to make things grow. He gave us all his love but also his discipline. At times we really deserved it. One time my brother and I took the leaf blower in the house for play time. I had never seen him as angry as he was that day, but he simply took the leaf blower from us and walked outside without a word. That was his way of controlling his temper, but he could have just as easily been out there laughing at us for doing something so crazy.

I learned so much more from my grandpa than I learned going to school. Grandpa was a proud man and he took pride in working hard for what he had. He made sure that we all grew up learning the importance of a rewarding day’s work and always had chores for us to do for a quarter here and there. He let us work with him on the farm selling vegetables and took pride in his trade as well. Everyone in town knew to come to him for the best tomatoes on the block. There are no words to express the feeling of loss from losing my hero, my friend, my mentor, and my grandpa. I know he is with us in spirit and will watch over myself and my family in the years to come.