Grandfather Passed Away

[ViperRyan]

The world lost an incredible man this week. I will be traveling to Denver, CO next week for the funeral. He's being buried at Ft. Collins. Anyone have spare Viper I could borrow to get my mind off of this while I'm out there...…..j/k

There are no words to express this feeling of loss. My Grandfather, aka “Papa”, was a brilliant man who overcame a lot of obstacles and accomplished an incredible amount in his life. He grew up poor in Michigan where he had a difficult childhood being one of the oldest. He spent countless hours a day working to help his family and his brothers and sisters. This hard work and dedication would pay off and eventually followed him into adulthood. He cared a lot for his country and had no hesitation about serving in the war. He enlisted in the Navy and was an extremely successful pilot in WWII. I loved hearing stories about him flying and about his close encounters during WWII. He would have been 100yrs young next month.

My Grandpa was a very strong, proud and humble man; he never liked to be the center of attention. In life and now in death, he wouldn't want us to focus on him. He wouldn't want us to focus on the sadness of his death, but instead focus on the happiness in our lives and all the memories we shared. He would want us to appreciate one another and all our futures ahead. He was such 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, and ensured they were done, but never let a day go by without us knowing how much he loved us. He was a great mentor, not only for my Dad and us, but for everybody. He was a wealth of knowledge that many people came to seek out. He was selfless, kind, and he loved being a parent and a grandparent. It was his calling in life and he showed us what a Grandfather should be. My family has always been close and always stuck together. My Grandfather'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, how to be patience in life, and he gave us all his love but also his discipline. At times we really deserved it.

Grandpa, I love you and I will always miss you. I have so many wonderful memories to hang on to and carry me through life. My favorite memories were all the times spent visiting in CO and at the old cottage, how much I looked forward to being there. You’re the reason we were all able to fall in love with Waupaca. There were so many lessons and guidance you provided me when I was younger, that I did not understand the importance of until I grew up. You were my hero, my friend, my mentor, my role model, a great friend, and most importantly my Grandfather. Your guidance and love will carry me through to the end of my days. I love you Grandpa, until we meet again.

"Sorrow comes in great waves...but it rolls over us, and though it may almost smother us.it passes and we remain." - Henry James
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[Scott Mannny]

So sorry for you and your family's loss!! Just keep him in your thoughts and prayers and we will do the same.

[SRT BILL]

Sounds like your grand father was also a very lucky man to have such a great family around him for all his years. Keep the wonderful thoughts and try and take over where he has left off. The pressure is on you and your family to stay strong and pass on the greatness.

[Black Pearl]

Very sorry to hear about your Grandfather.

[GTS Dean]

My deepest condolences to you and your family.

My wife's dad had a similar life, and I marveled at his AF career stories.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

The Greatest Generation, to whom we all owe a huge debt, loses another heroic WWII Vet. They paid the price for many of the freedoms the world has today. "Freedom is NOT Free."

Sorry for your loss.

JonB

[Purple Haze]

Sorry to hear that...

[Fatboy 18]

Great obituary there Ryan, Sounds like he had a Good Life.

My thoughts go out to you and your family.
Mark UK

[capevettes]

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like a great man. Definitely, he was part of the Greatest Generation.

[thetalonguy]

My condolences for your loss Ryan. Hang in there and remember all the good things you were able to get out of him while he was here.

[ViperRyan]

Thank you everyone so much for all the kind words!! Means a lot!!!

[ACRSNK]

Sorry for your loss. Your post is a testament to what an amazing person he was. We should all be so fortunate in life to have someone write something like this about and for us after we are gone.

[ky13]

Sorry to read about your grandfather.