Grandpa
My grandfather was a good man. He was polite, he never swore, and he believed in things like honesty and integrity. He was a man strong in his beliefs, whether they were about religion, this country, or even about family. My grandfather believed in the importance of good manners, like opening doors for ladies, writing thank you letters, taking your hat off at the dinner table, and a good firm handshake. Throughout his life he was a hard-working man. He served our great country in World War II, and after doing a report about him in 8th grade, I was awed and very proud to have a grandfather who would stand up and protect our nation.
As a child some of my fondest memories were collecting golf balls and driving his golf cart in Arizona. I remember he always has peppermints or butterscotch candies hidden in the golf cart for a special treat. Every day on my drive to kindergarten I would see grandpa walking his dog Tara, and he would have her wave to me as we drove by. And I swore that he knew magic, when he could make stoplights change from red to green simply by saying, "change". It took me years to figure out his secret. I fondly remember how proud he was when I made the golf team in high school. Right up to the end of his life he would ask how my game was coming along and offer suggestions and share my joy when I had a good round.
Ever since my grandmother passed away we spent a lot of time talking on the phone. It can get lonely living so far away from my loved ones, and he missed my grandmother, so it was always nice to talk to someone who understood that a phone call from a friendly voice could really break up the silence of an evening. We both really grew to look forward to those Sunday night calls. He would listen to me talk about my job, and I would listen to him talk about what he had eaten that week. For the rest of my life I don't think I will ever meet a man that loves food so much. I don't think he ever met a meal he didn't like. During those calls we would talk about family, about golf, and about my grandmother. He'd tell me about a particularly exciting game of UpWords, or we would just talk about the world.
I've known my grandfather all of my life, but in the last few years I really began to understand him. He valued education, he knew the importance of taking pride in what you do, and above all else he believed that family is the most important thing there is. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to know him, the understanding to respect him, and the chance to love him. He was a good man and I will miss him very much.