My beloved Uncle passed away just before midnight on New Years Eve. It’s sort of funny that he died on this holiday, because he was born quite close to Valentine’s Day and we always celebrated his birthday then.
Uncle George is the father of my cousins, Janet and Larry. His mother was the sister of my Grandmother. However, he was raised with my Mom and the two of them were like brother and sister, and all of their lives they just adored each other.
The family many years ago. Uncle George is in the back on the left, with his mom and my mom is on the left in the very front next to her mother and father.
Then there is my other set of grandparents, my great Grandpa Daniell, and my Uncle Bob and Aunt Cynthia. Aside from my mom, they are all gone now. I miss each and every one.
One of my earliest memories of my Uncle is at the beach. It was there that he taught me to swim and to dive safely off his shoulders. I never worried about getting in over my head as long as his loving strong arms were around me.
I was perhaps 6 or 7 years old when during one of our beach trips, I stepped on a piece of glass and nearly sliced off my toe. I stood there crying and before I could call out, Uncle George was there. He lifted me up in his strong arms, examined the toe, and wrapped it in his t-shirt. Then he carried me home, a 5-10 minute walk from the beach. He drove us to the hospital and stayed with me while my toe was stitched up.
One time Janet and I decided to slip the noose of parental guidance and swim out to the raft in rough water. Oh ,we made it out just fine, but sitting on the rocking raft at Surf Drive Beach we sort of lost our cool about swimming back. Well, you guessed it; Uncle George swam out and helped us both swim in.
Besides rescuing us, he also made us feel important. He taught us to bowl, to hike, to build a camp fire, and to love life. He didn’t do these things in a big flashy way. He never asked for recognition, he just quietly went about being a great Dad to his own kids and to those of us that were lucky enough to be one of Uncle George’s kids.
When I married for the second time Uncle George gave me away. It was such a special moment in time. We looked into each others eyes, and smiled. I felt closer to him at that one moment than I ever had.
I’ll cherish that moment for the rest of my life.
Uncle George and Aunt Betty loved my kids and always were snuggling with them. It gives me a lot of peace to know that they are both with Katie now. I know she won’t be lonely.
I will miss this gentle man for all the days left of my life. He was the strong, silent type of man, who showed me what a real man was all about. I remember seeing him after Katie had passed away. He never said a word. He folded me in his arms and held me for the longest time, and once again, I was taken back to my youth, when Uncle George made me feel safe.
So good bye for now, my dearest Uncle. You were greatly loved in this life, and will be missed. Thank you for making such a difference in my life. God Bless!
