September 22, 2000 POPPY I feel especially honored to be talking to you today about my grandfather, my Poppy. When I was little I decided to call him "Poppy" (I was the first grandchild so I got to choose his new name) and so now many people know him as Poppy. Many others know him as John or Uncle John. The day after he died I was in his apartment and I found this book beside Poppy's chair. It is titled "All About Me" -- My Mom, Vicky, gave it to him. He actually got about half way thru it, filling in answers to the questions about himself. As I flipped thru the pages I landed on the page with the statement - "Someone you would like to have speak at your funeral" and he had written my name -- Dianna. So today I feel privileged to be able to honor his request. I am so happy and proud to have had a grandfather who was such a caring and wonderful person, and I feel very glad that I was able to have the close relationship with him that I did. I'd like to tell you about him from my perspective.... His motto, as he wrote in his book was: "Make Everybody Smile." I hope that in remembering him today you will do just that. He was a person who really loved people and celebrations. He and I actually talked about what he'd like his funeral to be like and he told me he wanted it to be "lively" and he wanted us to celebrate. He listed in the book under how others viewed you -- "a little screwy, a little funny and mostly happy." And when I think of how his wonderful life ended on a long awaited trip to an army reunion, spending the day with friends and eating a good meal and dessert -- I think of him as happy. And I think of him now with God and with his Dolores -- and I know -- he is happy. The book also asked for his three best qualities, he wrote: 1/ love people and animals 2/ good sense of humor 3/ appreciate the help and love of others. I think he couldn't have written truer words. John, as most people knew him, had quite a full and active life. I sat down to write this and I was overwhelmed by just how much he did in his 85 years. He was a tremendously devoted husband to my grandmother, Dolores. When she became ill, he took care of her and never complained. He was very happy to be able to care for her at home for as long as he could. And I could tell that he was very much in love with Mom-Mom too -- he took so many pictures of her when they were young and there are lots of pictures of the two of them kissing. He was, to quote my Mom, Vicky "all that a father should be.... he was always there for us growing up and gave us unconditional love." When I think of him as a Dad I think of the picture of him carrying my two uncles, asleep one on each shoulder, when they were little. And I think of him telling one of his stories about how crazy or cute my Aunt Terri was when she was young. Family and friends were more important to him than anything else. And as a grandfather, he was more then I could have ever hoped for. I don't think that Aaron, Alexandra and I could have been more blessed than we were. He took the time to get to know each one of us and spend special time with us individually. My very best memory of Poppy was when I was 9 years old and he took me to New York City for the weekend. We saw the Rockettes, a Lassie movie and Lassie, the dog herself, climbed the statue of Liberty, saw St. Patrick's Cathedral, went to a Broadway Show, The King and I and ate supper at Sardi's, my first filet mignon -- all in one weekend! It was a whirlwind trip, just like him -- always on the go and I loved it so. He loved New York and I'm so happy he shared it with me and that we had that special time together just the two of us. And I know he did similar things with Aaron and Alex. Aaron told me that Poppy was the first one to get him involved with map reading, and now he's getting a college degree in geography. His greatest joys were being with people and making them happy. He also had a great passion for many other things in his life, and I think that often his enthusiasm was contagious to those around him. So I'd like to just list some of the other things he loved and taught me to love: - he loved animals, all kinds -cats, dogs, squirrels, feeding the birds. - collecting postcards, memorabilia and keeping scrapbooks and pictures, pictures, pictures. I am so glad we have so many photos of his wonderful life. - gardening -- flowers, especially roses, he got great joy from watching a plant bloom. He would send me an amarylisis bulb and he'd grow one too and we'd take pictures of our beautiful blooms. - nature -- hiking, camping, scouting - the ocean -- I remember riding the waves for hours in the ocean with him on summer vacations in Ocean City. - cooking and eating -- especially eating desserts. He loved chocolate and cheese. And I fondly remember thanksgiving and Christmases at 9200 Chenoak Court with a big turkey, buttered carrots and a chocolate cake. - Theatre -- he loved going to shows and I think even more he enjoyed participating in the plays at St. Ursula's -he got me to join him when I was very young and I went on to participate in all of my high school plays. - Traveling -- he loved to visit cities and sightsee. He was able to get in that last trip just before he left us. Where ever he went he always took the time to fill out postcards to the people he left behind in his travels -- as always thinking of others. He had even filled out postcards already from this last trip to KY -- we found them in his bag -- just needing the stamps before they were sent. - And then there was dancing -- if you knew John at all you knew he loved, loved, loved to dance. I think it was his fountain of youth. Weddings, nightclubs, anywhere he could -- he would dance. He even entered a disco contest once -- never afraid to try anything. He loved meeting all the girls he danced with and made some good friends too. He also had quite the line "I don't wanna marry you, I just want to dance" and would often brag about his dance conquests. "I asked 11 girls to dance and got 8 dances tonight!" Not many kids can boast to their high school and college friends that their grandfather goes out dancing at nightclubs like Christophers and Rascals. I was proud that I could. His sense of humor was also an ever present character trait -- always making us smile through all he did. Even when he got upset or frustrated -- he'd make us smile or laugh with those goofy names ... "knucklehead, numbskull, cotton picker." There were also so many other roles he had in his life... As a World War II veteran and Lt. Col., I know he worked very hard in the Army and was poud of his service to his country. As a salesman -- he traveled and worked hard in the tractor business and struggled some too. He was also a devoted scoutmaster and committee member to Troop 26. Over 35 years of service to the young men of St Ursula's. I am so pround that my grandfather touched so many young lives and helped to shape the future. I'd like to read you a Christmas card that Poppy kept in his scout scrapbook. (see copy of card) Along with scouting, he loved athletics -- he was a fan and participant of basketball, lacrosse, football, tennis and golf. Between work and army reserves, he even found time to referee lacrosse games in the 60's and 70's. And in his later years he became a senior Olympian -- winning about a dozen medals over 18 years of participation. Volunteer was also another role for John. After my grandmother was placed in Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Poppy took it upon himself to install a bird- feeder so the residents could enjoy watching some wildlife. And even after Mom-Mom left the nursing home, and after she died, Poppy still faithfully visited to feed the birds and cheer the residents with a visit and some small talk. And in the last year of his life he discovered yet a new role -- that of great- grandfather to my son, Holden. In December 1999 my husband, Barry and I and our 4 month old son moved into 9200 Chenoak Court with my Mom and Dad and Poppy. These last 10 months have been quite special for all of us -- both challenges and cherished moments. In the first year of my son's life and the last year of my grandfather's life, I witnessed a special bond forged between the two. I would take Holden down to Poppy's apartment almost everyday to visit and both their eyes would light up to see each other. Poppy always loved children and you could just see the joy in his face when he was with them. He got re- charged from being around young people. And his relationship with Holden was so special and important to him. He was so thoughtful about the little toys he would give him -- making sure they were baby friendly and would get his attention. And inevitably, the toys Holden plays with the most often are the ones from Poppy. In the "All About Me" book he listed "caring" as a quality for which he is often complimented and he also said it was the most meaningful to him. A husband, a father, a Lt Col and Veteran, a salesman, scout leader and role model, athelete dancer, traveler, animal lover, volunteer, and grandfather and great grandfather. A man who made us smile. He was an inspiration to us all to live life to the fullest. And I think above all those activities, I will remember him most as a man who was thoughtful in little ways, who loved with great passion, and who cared for others.