This week we lost a very special man, my grandfather, John "Jack" Williams. Aka Grandpop (to me, my sister and cousins) or Pop Pop (to all the great grandchildren). Thankfully Grandpop passed away peacefully, in the love of family. He lived a full 95+ years and was fortunately mentally & physically sharp until virtually the very end. For anyone that met him, the twinkle in his eyes was real and memorable.
Wanted to paint a small picture of the Grandpop I knew & love . . .
USS Peto
Grandpop's obituary lays out his devotion to his family & his community. Among his many accomplishments, Grandpop notably served on the USS Peto submarine during WWII. He was always proudly sporting USS Peto gear and ready with a story (or two or three :)) to share. He ended up being the last surviving USS Peto crew member. We are proud of his service, courage and dedication.
Daily Walks
For the past decades Grandpop would take two walks each & every day. Folks would toot their horns at Grandpop as he passed by, to say hello. In the past year or so, as Grandpop physically slowed down and needed a cane to walk steady, he still made it out for his walk(s). Neighbors kindly placed chairs along his route so he'd have the option for a wee rest along the way. He wore a safety traffic vest and merrily clipped along. Over the years I was able to join him for several walks during our visits. No doubt these walks brought him joy and are a small example of his resilience and strength.
"Cappi", Cream Soda and Candies
No visit to Grandpop's (or Grandmom & Grandpop's before she passed) would be complete without enjoying one or all of the following:
Cream Soda: Straight from a cold can. Even as far back as when my grandparents lived on a farm in Watkins Glen, Upstate New York, the only place I'd ever drink cream soda was at my grandparents' house. The rarity of it - and something I associated only with my grandparents - made it even more special.
Crystal Candy Jar: My grandparents had a crystal candy jar that always sat on or near their kitchen table. It was always filled to the brim with chocolate candies, mostly M&Ms. Grandpop loved his sweets. Grandpop would always jokingly say the candies were only for him. But then he'd happily share some with us, with the signature twinkle in his eyes :)
Butterscotch Candies: As a kid, Grandpop would always have a bowl of butterscotch candies in his wood shop/work shop. To this day, I cannot see or eat a butterscotch candy without thinking of Grandpop.
Afternoon Capi: Grandpop loved his daily cappuccino! Enjoying one with him (typically in little mugs that Doug got them in Japan years ago) was always part of our visit. Grandpop's cappi always stayed warm atop a "mug rug" coaster next to his chair.
Fancy Cards
Readers of this blog (and folks who generally know me) know that I love snail mail. I appreciate the effort, time, love and thought that goes into sending someone a piece of mail the "old school" way. Grandpop had a friend at church who made lovely homemade cards, and Grandpop would stock up. Not one birthday or holiday would go by without a darling card, with Grandpop's shaky "I love you, Grandpop" handwriting at the bottom, showing up in the mailbox. It makes my heart swell to think of them and the care he took to select & send them to all of us through the years.
Sarah Who?
When I'd call Grandpop, my opening line when he answered the phone was always [in an energetic, loud voice] "Hi Grandpop! It's me, Sarah!" And without fail Grandpop would respond "Sarah who?!" with a giggle in his voice. Erinn shared how much she'll miss that little calling routine with Grandpop, and I couldn't agree more. You knew that would be his response every single time, but the charm never lacked luster.
Mischievous Spirit
The twinkle in Grandpop's eye was part love, part wit and part mischief, if you ask me. He'd always be nudging you with his elbow and making some side little joke or comment. When we visited him in April 2019 he was recovering from a stroke. In the rehabilitation center, he kept joking how he wanted to bust out of there or how he didn't need the wheelchair they insisted he did.
Laughs Galore
Grandpop always had a knack for making people laugh. Especially with the great grandchildren, he was so naturally playful with them and made their faces beam with laughter. He was goofy and the giggles he provoked in all of us were the best!
88+ years between Grandpop and these ladies. The age gap made no difference whatsoever! So special to see their relationship & joy through the years. To quote Sadie last month "Pop Pop always makes me laugh even when I’m young!"
Wave From the Door
A visit with Grandmom & Grandpop would always end with the same goodbye routine. After hugs and saying goodbye and I love you, Grandmom & Grandpop (and then Grandpop on his own the past years) would stand by the door (or window if it was cold) and wave goodbye until we were completely out of sight. We'd honk the car horn as we drove away, long past the driveway, as a way of answering their continued wave. Such vivid memories.
Special Message
When Grandpop took a turn for the worse back in June, it hit me really hard. I realized in my heart that I'd be unlikely to see Grandpop again, and with his deteriorating health, it was challenging to communicate with him on the phone at that point. I couldn't fathom not getting another chance to relay to him how much he means to all of us. That night in early June I pulled together a few slides and pictures that Aunt Pat kindly shared with Grandpop, and I sobbed the whole time. Even Sadie said to me at one point "Mommy, can't you be happy that Pop Pop is still alive?" I'm grateful he was able to receive this reminder of how highly we all regard him, how grateful we are for his positive influence in our lives and the spark of light he always brings to our lives. Here are a few extracts from those slides:
Grandpop, you are one of the very special ones! We love you and miss you dearly. You have shaped who we are and your memory and influence will stay with us forever. XOXO
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