It's so hard to say goodbye...

I know it's been quite some time since I've written and I will update you all on how we spent our summertime soon....

This week I lost my last grandparent.  I count myself extremely blessed to have had as much time with my grandparents as I have.  Especially when I think of the fact that Jim only knew 2 of his grandparents and he lost his last one 10 years ago.  I learned so much from all 4 of my grandparents... so many things that I will never forget.  I enjoyed my time with Mom-mom until I was 20, with Grandma until I was 26 (just 1 day before my egg retrieval to conceive Summer & Cole), with Pop-pop until I was 30 and with Grandpa until I was 31.  It's funny though the stories that you never hear until after they are gone. 

Like these 2 that were left in the guest books in his online obituary:
To the Reilly family: My sympathies to you all. Mr. Reilly was my Principal at Hauppauge Middle School from 1971-1974. He was a good man and leader for the school. We appreciated his service to the community as well.
I remember in the late seventies, Leo,Carl Beck and Jerry Borrell and myself visited several school districts in upstate N.Y. that were including girls in their industrial arts program. It was a time when the subject of Industrial Arts was connsidered a program for only male students. Leo and his middle school administration recognized that the culture of America was changing that women were to included in all aspects of education. The visit made us extremely aware of the success the female students were having in these upscale school districts and why we should be proceeding in the same manner on L.I. Under Leo Reileys direction he implemented the first industrial arts program that included girls as well as boys. His insight into this is fondly remembered by myself since my close assoc. with him as Supt. of Instruction was to support his innovation. Once we implemented that program in Hauppauge it became a requirememnt throughout the state. 

I knew my Grandpa was a great man.... he raised 8 wonderful children with his wife of almost 60 years.  He loved and nutured 12 grandchildren and his 6th great grandchild was just born this month.  But it's so nice to hear that he touched those outside of his family as well.  Although his children tell stories of the stern disciplinarian (after all he was a principal) father, his grandkids know the real story.  He was a patient man who loved our Grandmother dearly.  He watched her soap operas with her, loved to golf and always made it to the early bird specials in Destin.  He made sure that the doors were double and triple locked to appease her and even remembered where she hid her real purse.  When we were young and in school, he would always ask about our teachers.  Every year he would ask, "what is your teacher's name?", followed by, "does she have 4 fingers and a thumb on her right hand?".... yes... "i know her". 

Goodbye Grandpa.... you will never be forgotten!