In Memory of My Grandpa

This is a picture from the last time I was with my Grandpa Ray Cladek, October 2004.

My Grandpa passed away on Monday, March 24, 2008. He is now with Jesus and I know when I get to heaven he will hug me again, just like in the picture.

I wasn't always close to him due to my grandparents living in Seattle while I grew up here in Texas. But I do have some good memories of the times when we were together.

I'll never forget how he would always tell me the story of how he sucked his thumb off. This was in attempt to get me to stop sucking my two middle fingers. Later as I grew older I would find out it was shot off during WWII.

His pet name for me was "Squirrel." I'm still not sure where that came from but it was an endearing term so it didn't matter too much, I guess.

His name for his neighbor across the street and anyone who pissed him off was "Ding-Ding". Every now and then I'll use that word and it always makes me laugh, as I think of him and how he would say it in his gruff voice "That ole Ding-Ding..."

One of the best times was when I went to Seattle by myself in August the summer after I graduated from high school. I was there for 3 weeks and really enjoyed that time with them.

And then there is Spuds, the favorite fish and chips restaurant we would always go to any and every time we went to Seattle. Spuds is on Alki Beach and as we ate we would watch the ferries and seagulls and people jogging or riding their bikes. It's one of my favorite places to go in Seattle.

I'm thankful that I was able to visit again that October. Grandpa got to meet Joel and Grant, who was just 9 months old at the time. Many times I have often wished that I lived closer to my grandparents so that I would have known them better. That is when I'm most grateful to have Joel's and my family to live so close!