Originally posted Spring 2004
My maternal grandfather, the man I called “P.D.”, passed away in the spring of 2004. His passing was quick and peaceful, but somewhat unexpected (or at least as unexpected as it gets with a 92 year old). He was a man of great warmth and happiness, and my initial sadness quickly faded into fond recollections. This was the man who got the whole family hooked on jeeps, so one of the ways we thought fitting to celebrate his life was to pile friends and family into our ’47 2a and head off into the woods. The day of his funeral we took turns wheeling the ‘47 around the old family farm remembering all the times my grandfather had taken us all through the same fields and into same woods.
That same day Sally (P.D.’s niece) watched her 14 year old son Frank get his 1st driving lesson on the 2a. Frank did a great job, and for me it was one of those wonderful “life goes on moments.”
As silly as it may be, I think our whole family found nothing but happiness and joy in the memories surrounding the old farm jeep.