Vicissitudes and Victories

Memorial to my Uncle Bill

On Thursday Night, February 16, 2006, my beloved Uncle Bill passed away with his children and wife at his side. He was 78 years. I loved him very much. Uncle Bill had his flaws. He smoked a pipe for most of his life, and he could be gruff and impatient, but in some ways he was the sweetest man I ever knew. His nickname was SOB, but in his case it stood for Sweet Old Bill.

As a child I remember the wonderment that I felt every time we went to Uncle Bill's house. He seemed to be able to do almost anything; and truthfully, he almost could. He grew up in a bakery and had a great talent at baking pies, cakes, and anything else that your sweet-tooth desired. He worked at a nuclear laboratory as an engineer for many years, and when he retired they offered him any salary he wanted to stay. He had a wondrous woodshop where he could create anything. Many a Christmas present would come from that shop. He was also a master gardener, a man that truly understood the nature of plants and the soil. His garden almost seemed like a jungle to my siblings and I. His house and garden stood as a memorial to this talented man. He constructed the house with his own hands before he married my aunt.

More important was his heart of gold. I always remember him taking care of my grandmother. He made sure that her house was in good repair and that she never needed anything. He loved her and she loved him. He had a blustery way of being at once difficult but yet kind. One time at a family gathering he offered my then girlfriend five dollars if she would marry me and ten dollars if we would get married on his and my aunt's anniversary. We never got married, but I know she has fond memories of my uncle as well. He really did have a great sense of humor and was always looking out for us, his nieces and nephews. He also looked out for the widows and divorcees of his neighborhood. He would help them in their gardens and with their house repairs. He was always willing to help anyone--for example he plumbed and wired my parent's basement.

I could go on forever about his goodness and greatness, but I will instead end by expressing my love and gratitude for having known such a wonderful man. He was and is one of my heroes. May he find joy and happiness in the next life.

posted by Joel @ 1:07 AM