In memory

H

hannaugh

Master Member
Messages
4,230
My grandfather passed away today at the age of 91.  You guys know him as the guy who bought me the body for my Strat as a Christmas gift. 

He was the captain of a B-29 in WWII, he was a rocket scientist and an electrical engineer after the war, and he was a pilot and flight instructor well into his late 80s. 

He always asked my friends that came over to the house if they wanted to join him for brandy and cigars in the parlor, even though he didn't smoke and we didn't have a parlor.  He did this ever since I can remember... even when I was in grade school. 

I didn't have the best relationship with him throughout a lot of my life, but it's not going to be the same at the old house. 
 
hannaugh said:
My grandfather passed away today at the age of 91.  You guys know him as the guy who bought me the body for my Strat as a Christmas gift. 

He was the captain of a B-29 in WWII, he was a rocket scientist and an electrical engineer after the war, and he was a pilot and flight instructor well into his late 80s. 

He always asked my friends that came over to the house if they wanted to join him for brandy and cigars in the parlor, even though he didn't smoke and we didn't have a parlor.  He did this ever since I can remember... even when I was in grade school. 

I didn't have the best relationship with him throughout a lot of my life, but it's not going to be the same at the old house. 
Click to expand...

My deepest sympathies and /salute to your grandfather, a truely extrordinary and exceptional man just from what you wrote.

I'm always saddened to hear the loss of another of America's "greatest generation".  :sad:

ORCRiST
 
I am sorry to hear about your loss.. seems like he was an extremely interesting man!
 
Sorry to hear that, Hannah. I hope you and your family get through this well. Was this unexpected?

Sounds like he lived a fulfilling life, Hannah. Maybe you should have a cigar and brandy is his memory.
 
Many thanks to all you guys.

It was pretty abrupt.  He had been on dialysis for a while, but was doing pretty well considering.  He drove himself to dialysis on Saturday, and then Saturday night he had a mild heart attack and we called the paramedics.  He was in the ICU for a few days while they were waiting for him to stabilize enough for them to do an angioplasty, but he had a cold that quickly turned into pneumonia and he had a lot of trouble breathing, and they had a lot of trouble keeping his blood pressure in a normal range.  He finally told us he didn't want any more meds or oxygen, that he just wanted to be made comfortable so he could die without too much pain.

It's pretty crazy, everyone is just shocked because he was pretty able-bodied for a man of 91.  A lot of people thought he was in his 70s.  

We were looking through some stuff at the house and we found his WWII pictures.  Some of them are amazing, shots of bombs falling out of his plane.  I might post some since I know you guys like that sort of thing.  
 
So sorry to hear of your loss, Hannaugh. Condolences to you & your family.
 
I feel for you, Hannah.  Your loss puts me in mind of a loss my family anticipates sometime soon.  We're having a big birthday party for my step-dad's 85th next month, and we're not very confident he'll see 86.  He was a b-29 crew chief in the war, and he also remained active in aviation for most of his post-war life. He came into our family when I was about 14 (I'm 44 now), and married my mom a few years later.  He committed fully to being part of a family with five children under 15 at the time he joined us, and we had the usual ups and downs you get with child rearing, but he has taught us, and continues to teach us, a lot about decency and humility and the value of hard work and kindness.  I hope you had something similar with your grandfather, and that he taught you things you will find sustenance in during hard times to come.

Peace

Bagman
 
Hanna, I want to offer my thoughts and prayers

My own father , 89, WWII B17 pilot, 9 months POW, 30 years service army air corp/air force, lives in Fla, every Sept I go and spend a few weeks with him, the last few years he has been showing his age as he is so sedentary and is no getting out much. He is in his end years and it tears me apart but I love to think of him as I remember him as a child, a tall proud man wholivedforhois family first. I fear each year to visit will be my last.

I hope your memories are as great as mine and that he will live forever in your mind as the man you called your father. Relationships can be funny, I am sure he loved you even in the times you say the relationship was not the best, Remember he allowed you to do as you thought right, trusting in the way he raised you was correct. It takes a big man to do as such.
Smile and carry his photo to remember.

Jim
 
That's a sad thing to hear hannaugh, not to many of the 'ol chaps left still living from WWII. That's a funny story of the cigars and brandy in the parlor...

 
Very sorry to hear about your grandpa. I lost my grandpa two years ago. He was a guy who knew every dirty joke in the book, and it was always a fun time at family events, as he would go on and on, my mom's face would blush harder and harder. And while he maintained such a gruff outer appearance, he was a guy with a big heart who helped out a lot of people in my hometown, and would always tell me, in his own words to say the least, to fight the good fight. Sadly, the thing that my family remember more about his passing is how greedy my aunt became after he had passed.
 
Man they just don't make them like they used to. We all need to honor these guys and be at least a tenth of the person that they are. An instrument from a loved one is one of the coolest gifts to have. He will always live on. It's because of him and people like him that we can live the lives we have. You are blessed with the memories and experiences. You have shared a story and now a piece of him is with us all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BroccoliRob
No, I am not a missing person
Replies
8
Views
246
Rick
Rick
TonyFlyingSquirrel
History/Memory Lane.
Replies
1
Views
167
Rick
Rick
bagman67
Ziggy the Giant Dog - Adoptable soon in Southern Nevada.
Replies
8
Views
792
xld
xld
B
Mini guitar string gauge
Replies
17
Views
1K
electric__steve
electric__steve
V
Custom Cat Mustang
Replies
5
Views
401
teleme01
teleme01
Back
Top