Hey everyone this is Carolyn.  I hope you are all doing as well as can be expected.  Losing grandpa has been  a painful expirience and because we know one anothers feelings of loss, perhaps sharing some stories can cheer us up and bring a smile or laugh.

My earliest memories of grandpa are of course the little girl years when he'd barge through the door and rush over to bite my ears and shout "Do you want to come to grandpa's house?"

Does anyone else remember him playing the oldies really loud and dancing around singing really loudly over the music...even when he was driving?

I remember him being really excited to recieve any little trinkit gift or homemade card or piece of candy... anything I'd give grandpa he always tried to make a big fuss about how much he liked it.

As I got older grandpa would always stop in atleast once or twice a week to check up on me and my siblings and make sure we were staying out of trouble... He'd call and say... I'm comin ovuh make me some coffee alright?  He'd bring all this stuff he got "on sale" and make me try it all on.

One time my friends were over the house hanging out and he called to say he was coming, I knew hed be all dressed up and he was driving the Crown Victoria at the time. So I played a joke on my friends and told them this loneshark was coming to collect a debt and he was really mad.  Grandpa pulled up a few minutes later and gets out of the crown vic in a nice suit and then reaches down into the car, pulls out a gangster hat, puts it on and starts walking up to the house with that determined walk he had.  My friends all started screaming and ran out the back door, lol funniest thing ever.

I remember hanging out as a teenager down the beach.  I could just go right up to the apartment even with my friends all sandy and everything. he wasnt always expecting me, and sometimes seemed a little put out, but he never turned me away...He'd have grandma make toast and would give us suntan lotion.

When I had my own family Grandpa was there for it all.  Dancing at the wedding.  Visiting at the birthplace for every child or sent flowers if he couldnt make it.  There for the birthdays helping to blow out the candles just like a little kid.  My children fell in love with their great-grandpa just as I had.  Always making a point to visit our new home and bring us towels from the Y, laberto's bread, and anything else he could pull from his trunk.  

Whenever he'd hear we were sick he'd come right over and see if he could do anything or just show his concern and pray.  He'd always pray he'd hit the lottery but only so he could buy all of us things that we needed.  

Oh he made me laugh. I hope I made him laugh too.  Ya Val I have a picture of him marching in the band with you in Florida, he didn't just take photos he went out and marched with you! Hysterical and beautiful. What a beautiful soul.  All the rough edges couldnt mask the true intensions of love he always had.

Now that they are both gone from this world they are together forever and I feel like I finally have to grow up.  I've got to be to someone what they were to me. I don't know why things worked the way they did and some of us didn't get to say good bye.  But I know grandpa had us all in his heart all the time.

One of the last times I got to spend with him he wanted to come with me to Home Depot.  As we walked through the store he stopped to talk to anyone whod listen to him about .. Grandma and how long they were married, all his children and his grandchildren and of course great and great-great.  everyone loved him and was amazed by his stroies... Grandpa was kind of electric wasnt' he?

He still is, he lives on in eternity and in us forever.

Please post some pictures and stories we need this!  Love you all, Carolyn