Yesterday was a very sad day for my family. My Granddaddy passed away at the age of 88. He lived a very long and happy life and I am so glad that I was able to have so many years with him. Here's a little bit about my Granddaddy that we will all miss so very much.
My Granddaddy, who served in the Navy on USS Loeser during WWII, was a very kind, loving, hard-working and caring man. He delighted in spending time with his family. My Granddaddy often referred to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren as "boo boo". I loved it and found it very endearing that he just had a general name for those he thought fondly of. He would often refer to us as "sugar" too. Chris remembers a recent time that we visited him and he greeted me with a "hey sugar".
My Granddaddy had a great love for dance. You know the song "I Can Only Imagine".....I can imagine that my Granddaddy may have shown off a few of his salsa or cha-cha steps when he got to heaven. This probably happened just before he hit the links with his son Rodney.
My Granddaddy loved to play golf. Up until just a week ago, he continuously talked about wanting to play golf just one more time. He played as often as he could, even though it was difficult for him to get around. He loved watching Reed swing the golf club. I think it made him excited to see someone so young excited about the game.
My Granddaddy was a comedian. You could often find him sitting in his recliner with a big book of jokes. And, he was known to regularly pull out a joke that might not necessarily be appropriate for his particular audience at the time. He loved telling jokes though. He would often cackle louder than anyone else in the room and I loved it. I loved how excited and worked up he would get when telling a joke. He was usually funnier than the joke itself. He also continued his comedic reign even when he wasn't feeling the best. He would often call and ask how I was doing and I would ask the same, and he would respond by saying in a very sarcastic tone "I'm not even going to tell you, it might ruin your day". Oh, how I am going to miss that.
My Granddaddy frequently sent us away from his home with a simple "vote for me", although he never ran for public office. This was always so hilarious. I think he probably told Chris this the most, maybe he was a little worried that Chris might not vote for him, lol! Speaking of politics, you did not want to get my Granddaddy started talking about politics. He was very firm in his thoughts and we would often cringe if anyone even mentioned the election or anything of that nature.
My Granddaddy absolutely loved breakfast, bacon, eggs, biscuits, the works. He had to have his breakfast otherwise the day just didn't start off right.
My Granddaddy loved a good nap in his recliner. I never understood how he could sleep so soundly sitting straight up (he never actually reclined his chair), but we would often surprise him if we stopped by in the afternoon. He would always get knocked out sitting in his recliner with the TV blaring (he didn't have very good hearing).
My Granddaddy loved to sing. He was a member of his church choir for many, many years. Even when he got to the point where he couldn't stand to sing, he would sit in the choir loft and sing. He loved it.
Rest in peace my dear, sweet Granddaddy. You will certainly be missed, but I know that you are in a much better place now. One where you are completely healthy again, playing golf, and spending time with those you have missed so much, Uncle Rodney and Mama Hardeman. We can all find comfort in knowing this and knowing that we will be able to see you again someday! We love you very much!
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| My Dad with his Mom and Dad on Christmas Day 2010. Notice Granddaddy's spoon getting a bite of dessert from Grandmother's plate, lol! |
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| Marc and I with Grandmother and Granddaddy. |
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| Although a little blurry, you can tell Granddaddy loved our little guy. |
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| My Dad, my brother Marc, me and Reed with Granddaddy last Christmas. |
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| Great-Granddaddy and Reed - Christmas 2009 |
