eburke's blog: RIP grandpa carl crocker

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June 21, 2007

RIP grandpa carl crocker

grandpa carl crocker (jenn's grandpa) passed away on sunday after a two-month illness. while we knew he was very sick, sometimes it seems like everything happens faster than you expect it to. in any case, we were very glad we were able to make a trip to erie over memorial day to visit, because we knew the opportunity to see grandpa would not last long.

after we left, i got to thinking about grandpa carl, and though i knew him only a relatively short time, it was easy to see the kind of person he was. there are a few things that stick out in my mind that i would use to describe grandpa carl.

first, he enjoyed laughing. he was always cracking a joke, or answering the phone by saying "pool hall" instead of "hello?" just to mess with people, or teasing his kids, grandkids, or great-grandkids. he and i used to talk about sports (mainly baseball) and talk trash back and forth about the tigers and indians. i felt a little bit bad that the indians swept the tigers in a series just before he passed, but in the same thought i almost went to wal-mart and bought a broom for him to commemorate the sweep. ;) [in retrospect i should have done that because he would have had a great laugh about it.] one of my favorite stories was when we were over at tom and sandy's, and grandpa carl called the house. i saw on the caller ID that it was him, so i picked up the phone and said, "joe's pizza". there was a long pause, then *click* -- he got flustered and hung up! he called back a minute later, at which time i answered and talked smack because i beat him at his own game! i think he really enjoyed that one.

second, he was a pretty stand-up guy. he did what he promised he would do, and he made changes in his life that many others are not willing to make. he always claimed he wasn't a good father to his own kids, for various reasons i won't go into here. but he made the changes necessary to become a good grandfather and great-grandfather, and took that very seriously. (i would argue that just by changing his ways, he became a good father, too, by setting the example for his own children that even if you can't change the past you have a duty to change the future.) another change he made came after he had a seizure while driving, which caused a serious car accident that injured both him and his wife. after that day he never drove again. many (most?) people would never give up driving, even if a doctor told them they should. it's a testament to his ability to do the responsible thing, and the examples he set there will stay with me forever.

finally, he was a man who loved his family deeply. he could recite the birthdays of everyone from kids down to great-grandkids from memory at any time. everyone in the family received a birthday card with a handwritten note inside. he addressed the envelopes himself. and the cards were received on time, even early -- despite his having received his training in punctuality at the US Postal Service. ;)

whenever the family is together, you can feel the love. everyone respects one another, regardless of whether they agree on the topic at hand. everyone is generally content just to hang out together and catch up. not everyone is so fortunate to have such a family, and it is a testament to grandpa carl and grandma eileen's hard work during their time on earth. i hope that i am fortunate enough to leave behind a family such as they have. i know i'll take some cues from them, that's for sure.

we will all miss grandpa carl very much. here are a few photos i found from over the years. enjoy.