The world is full of men and women, quietly going about their lives, working and loving and making the world a better place, remarkable and unremarked upon. I’m proud to be the granddaughter of such a man.

He loved his girls – mother, wife, daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughter – and the men, too, in the big, loving family he built. It was Grandpa who imposed the moratorium on religion and politics at family gatherings because, in the sentiment of his best girl, your family are the only ones who are there with you from the beginning to the end, so you have to take care of them. And he did.

“Your father made you into one of those liberals!” he used to laugh – a joke because my father was a Republican when he met my staunchly liberal mother.

“No,” said Mom once. “She did that all by herself, studying in Europe – and you paid for it!” Because, as I’ve written before, he was very clear that education was a priceless commodity he wanted all his children and grandchildren to have easy access to. And slowly, each in our own way, his grandchildren are continuing the great works of his life – loving each other, helping each other, and making the world a better place.

It was an honor to be able to write about his life for The Bridgton News, and I look forward to celebrating his life later this month with the family that meant everything to my Grandpa.