It has been a perfectly insane week culminating in the sad news this morning that my grandfather has passed away. We had been preparing for this, although nothing really prepares you for that big void that is suddenly there.
To say that my grandfather was an incredible man is a huge understatement. He and his parents emigrated to Massachusetts from Austria where his father had been incarcerated at a concentration camp due to his Jewish heritage. With German as his native tongue, he studied his way to Harvard and then on to pursue a masters degree at Boston University in none other than physics. Even after retiring from the US Navy, he taught the subject and tutored throughout retirement at a local community college. My grandmother speaks of how proud she was the day he came home and announced that he was published in the American Journal of Physics. He was brilliant.
He loved my grandmother beautifully, and their marriage was the fascinating result of when art and science meet. More than anything else, they seemed put on this world to be grandparents. They were at all of my ballet and piano recitals growing up and took me into Boston to ride the swan boats and visit the MFA. When I stayed at their house for the weekend I could eat my spaghetti doused in milk and butter, breakfast on donuts, and go out for Chinese at the Great Wall. During the summer, we’d take trips to the Cape where Grampa would happily dive into 60 degree water – and stay there for an hour. They would spoil us with clam rolls and DESSERT! Grampa would sing songs in German and tell us stories of the funny piano teacher whose house was filled with stinky pets.
When I saw him for the last time on Tuesday night, he recognized me through the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and smiled when my sisters and I sang the funny songs he taught us as little kids. He loved his family, and he loved Jesus. And he is with Him now.
Grampa, I miss you so much. Thank you for giving me a love for electronics – buttons and knobs. Thank you for teaching me to be proud of where I came from… and just how great German boys are! Thank you for loving me. And I will always think fondly of you as I slip on my water shoes and step into the waters of Nantucket Sound.
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March 4th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
P, I’m so, so sorry for your loss. It doesn’t make it any easier even if you know it’s coming. It sounds like he was an incredible man, and his amazing granddaughter is even greater proof of that. I love you.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
here here to german boys!! thanks for the tribute, goo.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Priscilla, I’m so sorry for your loss. I am, however, so glad to hear you (and Gina) tell stories about him, and rejoice in his life. I can’t wait to meet him one day!
::big hugs::
March 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Sorry to hear this sad news. Will be praying for your family!
March 5th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
thank you all so much for your very kind words. fam knows who fam is.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:09 am
sorry to hear about your grandpa…he sounds amazing, as all the Bands do!
March 9th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Just another great member to make the world envious of your family. What an amazing bunch… I’m praying for you guys.
March 9th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
i love you guys. i really do.