danacara
<font color=purple>Parlez-vous Francais?<br><font
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2000
- Messages
- 3,097
Hi All,
After surviving two heart attacks and leukemia, my Grandpa Jack died on Saturday of renal failure. He is not my biological grandfather, but he married my grandmother in 1991, and they had 11 wonderful years together. I am not writing for pixie dust per se, but because I think his life was so inspiring that I thought I would share. He was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army during WWII. He served in the Pacific Theater. When he got back, he married Claire and had a son, Billy. Claire went to bed one night when she was 28 and died due to a blood clot in the brain. He raised Billy by himself and worked for Chevron in real estate investments. Ten years later, he married Maude and adopted her son Bob (then a juvenile delinquent, now a DEA agent and devoted son) and her daughter Pat, who is developmentally disabled. Maude died in 1987 of natural causes, and then Billy was stricken with AIDS, so Grandpa Jack took care of Billy and Pat by himself. Billy died in 1989. Pat got married to a man with similar disabilities in 1990, and Grandpa Jack set up a trust so they'd always have a place to live, live-in care, and food on the table. My grandmother married him in 1991 (they'd been friends for 50 years, had played bridge together with their prior spouses) and he became grandfather to all 15 of us grandchildren - and I think we made him proud. He was preening like a peacock at my college graduation in June (I'm the oldest grandchild), which really pleased me.
He died on Saturday morning at home with his kids, his hospice worker, and my grandmother. He was not in pain and really seemed to be at peace.
Rest in Peace, Grandpa Jack. You've left us inspiration and very high standards for your legacy.
After surviving two heart attacks and leukemia, my Grandpa Jack died on Saturday of renal failure. He is not my biological grandfather, but he married my grandmother in 1991, and they had 11 wonderful years together. I am not writing for pixie dust per se, but because I think his life was so inspiring that I thought I would share. He was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army during WWII. He served in the Pacific Theater. When he got back, he married Claire and had a son, Billy. Claire went to bed one night when she was 28 and died due to a blood clot in the brain. He raised Billy by himself and worked for Chevron in real estate investments. Ten years later, he married Maude and adopted her son Bob (then a juvenile delinquent, now a DEA agent and devoted son) and her daughter Pat, who is developmentally disabled. Maude died in 1987 of natural causes, and then Billy was stricken with AIDS, so Grandpa Jack took care of Billy and Pat by himself. Billy died in 1989. Pat got married to a man with similar disabilities in 1990, and Grandpa Jack set up a trust so they'd always have a place to live, live-in care, and food on the table. My grandmother married him in 1991 (they'd been friends for 50 years, had played bridge together with their prior spouses) and he became grandfather to all 15 of us grandchildren - and I think we made him proud. He was preening like a peacock at my college graduation in June (I'm the oldest grandchild), which really pleased me.
He died on Saturday morning at home with his kids, his hospice worker, and my grandmother. He was not in pain and really seemed to be at peace.
Rest in Peace, Grandpa Jack. You've left us inspiration and very high standards for your legacy.
