(no subject)
I am late in posting this entry; I could make excuses about how I have been extremely busy, etc., but largely it's because I haven't really known what to say.
Billy Wirtz, the husband of my grandmother, Ittie Wirtz, was a great man, a wonderful grandfather to me... it is hard to believe I will never see him again. He filled the room with energy and laughter, always working to spread the happiness he so obviously felt to everyone around him. He would not tolerate moping; Billy demanded that everyone around him have a good time.
When I think of Billy I usually think of him urging me to get into his swimming pool or jump into Lake Michigan... there were no excuses. If you forgot your bathing suit, he almost certainly had one in your size lying around the house. He did not allow you to be self-conscious. He wanted you to swim and dive and splash and laugh, and then come inside to the kitchen and devour an ice cream cone.
I think of Big Bad Bill commanding the Amtrak, Bill's BBQ in the Bahamas, his Christmas and Thanksgiving parties. I will always remember his generosity; the countless hockey games, ice shows, and concerts that he took me, and my friends and family, to. I remember his slightly dirty jokes, the way he played with his dogs, his gruff voice, his smile, and his twinkling eyes, the obvious love he felt for my grandma, and the rest of our family.
I am very lucky to have known him; I hope that I can live a little more by his example.
Billy Wirtz, the husband of my grandmother, Ittie Wirtz, was a great man, a wonderful grandfather to me... it is hard to believe I will never see him again. He filled the room with energy and laughter, always working to spread the happiness he so obviously felt to everyone around him. He would not tolerate moping; Billy demanded that everyone around him have a good time.
When I think of Billy I usually think of him urging me to get into his swimming pool or jump into Lake Michigan... there were no excuses. If you forgot your bathing suit, he almost certainly had one in your size lying around the house. He did not allow you to be self-conscious. He wanted you to swim and dive and splash and laugh, and then come inside to the kitchen and devour an ice cream cone.
I think of Big Bad Bill commanding the Amtrak, Bill's BBQ in the Bahamas, his Christmas and Thanksgiving parties. I will always remember his generosity; the countless hockey games, ice shows, and concerts that he took me, and my friends and family, to. I remember his slightly dirty jokes, the way he played with his dogs, his gruff voice, his smile, and his twinkling eyes, the obvious love he felt for my grandma, and the rest of our family.
I am very lucky to have known him; I hope that I can live a little more by his example.