From Natalie Hill;
I distinctly remember how excited I always felt knowing Grandpa’s potato pancakes were waiting for us whenever we visited him and Grandma. Those visits were the highlight of my childhood—running around their yard, picking raspberries until our fingers were stained red, and feeling completely at home in the world they created for us. Those summers are some of the happiest memories I carry.
As I grew older, I began to notice things I hadn’t seen as a child—like the gentle, steady way Grandpa helped Grandma with her exercises and stretches. The patience he showed, the quiet devotion in every small act of care, taught me so much about their love. And no matter how old we got, he always sent us off with his signature never‑ending octopus hug, the kind that wrapped around you and didn’t let go until you were laughing.
One of my favorite recent memories is the look on his face when he saw me in my State Trooper uniform. The pride in his smile is something I’ll never forget. It meant the world to me that he met Glenn when we were dating in college—and that he thought so highly of him. Every time we talked on the phone, without fail, he would ask about Glenn. That simple, consistent care said everything about the kind of man he was.
Grandpa gave me a childhood full of joy and an adulthood full of encouragement and jokes. Even though I can’t be there today, I hope these memories bring a piece of my heart into the room with you. He was a wonderful grandfather, and I will carry him with me always.
