Eulogy : My Grandfather

One night in January, I couldn't sleep and it was 4am and then out of the blue I got a call from my sister.. At first all I had was questions, “What do you mean his organs are shutting down?” And then she said it-- grandpa’s dying. She called telling me that our grandpa, who was battling cancer on and off for eight years,

Growing up I was always closer to my dad; he's taught me so much about life, me, and how to handle things. My dad always understood me better than my mom ever even tried. My dad taught me I need to stand up for myself, but also to be there when someone needs me. He helped me stand up for myself, showed me what respect looks like; also, he taught me loyalty and respect are the two most important things. Along with all of that, he was there for me when no one else was.

Few hours of sleep, just worked a tiring shift, but my dad still gets up to go to our sports meets. My dad sacrifices so much to make sure that we are happy. My dad never misses our sports and will go with no sleep so he can come. My dad works countless hours to buy us the extra things. My dad always goes above and beyond for us and shows us that you need to work hard for your family. That is why my dad is my Michigan hero.

I have lost my grandpa and have not gotten over the idea of it. When I was in the sixth grade, my grandfather was very sick; he could barely walk. While my grandmother and some other family members went uptown for some household things, food, and medication, I was told to take care of him. Yet, I wanted to play with my friends outside. He told me to go ahead and play, but for some reason I just got mad and slammed the door and left. Around nighttime, I seen an ambulance pull up to my grandparents’ house.

Benjamin Tucker is a 39 year-old hardworking, family oriented man and I am proud to call him my father. Everything he does is to provide for his family. That is one goal my dad will not give up on. Growing up, I have watched my father start a business, remodel homes, and build all kinds of things, all while working a full time job. My dad is a caring and understanding kind of person. If something was wrong, I know that I could go to him about anything I needed help with and he would give me the best answer that he could. It may take a little bit of Googling, but he always seemed to know exactly what to do. Benjamin Tucker is a hardworking provider, a crafty businessman, and a adventurous, loving father.

I never really knew my grandpa as well as I would have liked. He was already an old, old man by the time I started high school, and my own memories of him are mostly of a man confined by age and ailing health. So I'm not really going to talk about my memories of him. Instead, I'm going to try to share his memories and the memories of those that knew him.

If there's anyone who could brighten up a room full of people arguing over which part of the turkey they want, disagreeing over politics, sharing the latest family gossip, it's definitely him. It's Thanksgiving and as I enter my grandparent’s house, I see him conversing with my aunt who's resemblance is uncanny, as he sips his glass of white wine and instantly looks up at me. It’s my grandfather, Gelo.

The scent of fresh pine and baked turkey dominates over all senses, surging into the crisp air of the kitchen. Presents are stacked to the brim of the Christmas tree, while a toy train intermittently passes by. Effervescent ornaments sparkle with the memories of past years. Rooms are full with aunts, uncles, distant cousins, all of who push their troubles aside to celebrate this day once a year: Christmas . It is chaos, but the good kind.

The day that my Grandpa passed away started out like any other day. My mom and I went to visit him daily, just because we wanted to spend time with him. It was August 11th so, summer was coming to an end. My mom, Grandma and I were sitting and waiting for him, in his hospital room, to get back from the tests that he had that day. Everything seemed fine. He looked great. My mom and I were only able to talk to him for a few minutes, sadly, before they had to take him away again for more tests. We said our good-byes, not knowing that they would be our last, and we left. When we were at the stop light at 75th and Washington, we got a call.

Around six to three months before this tragedy occurred, my grandpa’s health had taken a turn for the worst. We would be awake at midnight, hearing him violently vomit crimson colored fluid. He couldn't get up or walk without my mother or grandma’s assistance. A brutal cough would take both his breath and voice away. Yet, he was so understanding and caring of both my brother and I. He would do everything he could to play with me or tell me a story, since he knew that I didn’t know any better. A couple months before his passing, I came home from school to find no one home except my anxious looking aunt and my then three-year old cousin. I remember running to my grandparents’ room to greet my grandparents, but when I opened the door, no one was there. I ran to my aunt and asked her where everyone was. I could see in her face that she was worried, but she tried to be as calm as possible so she wouldn’t scare me.

When my report card arrives at my house no one will really pay attention to it until it is opened. My mom is usually the one who opens my report and if she doesn't open it then it's me. I have gotten pretty good grades my entire life so my mom always expects me to have A's. When she opens the card I think she'll be happy that I'm passing all of my classes but, she'll probably playfully scold me for having a B in P.E.. My sister would say that I'm doing very good and she would also tell me to tell my dad I deserve a present for all my hard work. I will tell my family that I'm doing great in school and that they should give me money because of my good grades.

First, I must say the day started off as one of the worst days in a long time. My husbands been out of work for a week now, and prior to that, companies weren't paying him for his work and everything has been unstable. Today I prayed more than I ever have in my life. I pleaded to the Lord to please just send my husband work... any work at all.

Daddy I was your biggest fan. You were so abusive. I really didn’t know any better.

I clearly remember the day I found out about my granddad's passing. I was at school. It was a normal, joyful day. My dad was planning on picking me up, but instead my friend's mom picked me up. He would not tell me why, but I did not think much of it. I remember the car ride to my house. My friend's mom would not tell me why she was driving me home; all she told me was, "Just know, Ryan, that we will be here for you no matter

My great grandfather Bob Howell, who we called Papa Bob, was one of the greatest men ever in my opinion. He taught us many things, from how to treat one another to how to get through life accomplishing many things. Not too long ago he had experienced a fall. My cousins were outside doing yard work and had came in to get a drink, when the youngest heard someone. She saw papa Bob laying on the ground of his bathroom floor, and ran to get her sister. I got a call from her saying that she couldn 't get a hold of any of our parents. I started to panic and called my parents over and over until my dad answered. Papa Bob made it to the hospital, had scans done and got checked upped, but they said he was fine. As months went by he was never quite himself again, I blamed it on the fall secretly, but the doctors never found anything. It was getting worse and worse until he was put in the hospital. I knew his time was coming and I tried to spend time with him and listen to his stories when I could.