Monday, February 8, 2021
The ultimate jokester, magician, and story teller-one who could capture an audience and a room with just the twinkle in his eye and the majestic boom of his voice. NJ’s thin crust pizza connoisseur, and Yankee radio’s biggest listener. Pop-pop, or “Great’ Pop-Pop as my kids call you, for these ways and more, you truly are great:
For the hours spent travelling to Pennsylvania to attend yet another elementary grandparent day chock full of school cafeteria sloppy joes, book fairs, and dangerously small chairs. Or the high school musicals that you frequented which featured your grandchild for approximately 4 minutes of the 1 hour 29 minutes of running time.
There you were. Always our cheerleader, rooting for us. If Pop-Pop knew you enjoyed something, he made a point to remember it and dote on it. The cupcakes that he notoriously delivered upon each visit, were the result of our pure delight and amazement to see whipped icing twice the size of the cake itself spectacularly fashioned into the likes of Big Bird & Cookie Monster . Once he discovered Emily had an affinity for pigs, we would randomly find packages delivered filled with piggie knick knacks of every kind.
For the memories of our summers in Cape Cod that will stay with us forever. Whether you were cracking crabs, or cracking ribs, there was always fun to be had and stories to be told. For your knee jerk jealous reaction whenever anyone mentioned anything about hair. For the moments of sharing a diet pepsi and utz pretzels later, some calamari and Carlo Rossi.
For the beautifully written notes in our birthday cards that you made sure we received each year without fail, and for the great memories of Christmases at Pop-Pop and Bernadettes. I suspect you may have had some help from a most astute secret shopper. What a beautiful union you created and fostered together with the promise to care for each other until the end.
Thank you for your limitless support as we embarked on new milestones in our lives, for setting the bar so high, and for your fighter's spirit that lives on in each of us.
You will be sorely missed, remembered, and prayed for our dear, and devoted patriarch. We love you.
