Pete was more than just my Grandpa. He was a beautiful man who I admired and looked up to and loved dearly with all my heart.
He was so special.
If you meet Pete for the first time you couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He had the power to love his whole family, his wife of 72 years all 6 children, his Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren & Great Great Grandchildren.
He had the biggest heart. If you ever needed anything, he was someone you could depend on.
He gave advice from the heart.
If he told you he was going to do something he did it.. His word was GOLD!
On November the 9th Pete sat Gina & I down ; he said he needed to talk to us. He told us that the time was near and he had to leave us soon. He said he was ready, and that he had lived a good life but he was now tired and needed to rest.
He told us we needed to prepare ourselves and to take care of Nanny…. As I caught my breath and held back the tears …. I told him how much I loved and appreciated everything about him. It broke my heart that I was going to miss the Rock of our Family.
Pete was my story teller: Summer days were the best because he loved the sun.. We’d take snacks and sit around the table and listen to him tell stories from the good O’l days. ..or how you’d stop trains and fight tigers with your bare hands;
There were so many stories: if I had to pick a favorite it would be how he meet Nanny, his eyes would light up as you said “she pick pocketed me and begged me not to say anything” and we’d all laugh.
Pete had a beautiful sense of humor; even till the very end you made us laugh with his jokes or your silliness.
This past Thanksgiving Pete said “it was the best he had ever had” he was happy to spend it with the family eating and playing rumming cube, I think he won 5 games that day.
Pete loved to be in the kitchen;
Every morning he’d made Nanny Breakfast, he bake pies make cookies, cook rib make his special potato salad.
After he was done working on his crossword puzzle he’s look for recipes in the news paper, when he found something good he’d always ask one of kids … hey, what are you doing tomorrow and we knew he wanted us to take him to the market.
I have many fond memories of Pete but here are just a few;
I will miss the times you’d would lay on the floor and pay with us kids, you’d pinch us with your toes.
You’d chase us and tell us the eagle was going to get us.
You let us comb your hair like George Washington.
You helping us with our homework or teaching us how to play the piano (even if it made us cry)
When we were small kid; every payday you’d take us kids shopping for toys.
You’d make Gina, Rachel and I Sheryl temples and let us sit at the bar and say bad words…
You’d would put juicy fruit gum behind your ear.
I will miss our drives to the market and home depot.
I will miss watching the hummingbirds with you.
I will miss how you helped Nanny take care of Amber when she was little.. You took her to climb trees, play in the dirt, plant flowers and, you taught her how to speak Chinese.
You’d let Samantha paint your nails and play with her doll you nick named UGLY.
Pete you will not be forgotten:
Because every time the sun rises or sun set I will see your smiles.
Every time I see the flowers bloom I will feel the love we have for each other.
Every time I see a hummingbird I will feel the eternal love you have for all of us.
When I see the stars at night I will know you’re watching over us… telling us “sweet dreams & I’ll see you tomorrow”
I look forward to sharing my Pete stories with my family, my daughters and my grandchildren. I only hope to be a great story teller like you.
You brought so much joy into our lives, Pete I love you and miss you with all my heart and look forward to seeing again.
A special thank you; to Nanny, my Mom Gloria and Aunt Lola; I’d like to thank you for taking such good care of Pete, I know these last few months have been the hardest. But you’ve done an amazing job; you cared for him with your hearts because it was an honor to take care of such a great man.
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