Chelsey King
I will remember Grandpa as a quiet but steady presence in my life. I remember he was always supportive of my Grandma, whether that meant attending dance classes, or going to Taco Bell all the time, or even waiting for 5 minutes in a grocery store while she gave her penny speech to another person. He was always patient and loving and kind to her, and what a great example that was to me. I remember one summer I spent in California taking walks with him around Sun City; it was nothing grand or particularly noteworthy, but each walk was a precious experience in my life where I got to connect with my grandpa one on one and hear about his life and experiences. I also remember when I was little he would play "tickle monster" (I think that's what he called it), tickling the grand kids into peals of laughter. I remember loving to visit his house in California as a kid because it was so cool that my grandparents had a pool and he and grandma would get in and play things like "motor boat, motor boat" with use. I remember one trip when I was in college and he came with us to Yellowstone National Park; he was willing to do everything we wanted to do and even gave in to making funny faces for the camera, which resulted in a ridiculous but cherished picture. I remember that as the family got bigger and louder with more and more great grand kids, he still wanted to be a part of everything. He would join us for Sunday dinners where I thought I'd go crazy from all the noise and chaos, but he never complained. He smiled and chatted and just took it all in. I feel blessed that I was able to have him as my grandpa and I will carry his example and his lessons with me always.