Last Monday my grandfather Ray Reiss died. He was 96 years old, and although his health had been failing for the past several months, he was a remarkably healthy guy. He moved to Solana Beach with my grandmother, Margaret, about 33 years ago. My grandma passed away about 16 years ago and Grandpa continued to live independently in a condo just down the street from their old house.
He and Margaret had six children--Tom, Cathy, Joann, Nancy (my mom), Margie, and John; 17 grandkids; and 7 (I think) great grandchildren.
I have so many great memories of Grandpa. He was sharp as a tack, regulalry cleaning my clock at Scrabble, and was always learning new things. For example, in his late seventies he decided to learn how to use a computer and never looked back, designing custom birthday and holiday cards for all the grandkids, using email to stay in touch with everyone, and in his 90s making videos and slide shows with voice-over commentary that he would send to the family to keep everyone updated on his activities. He was a piano player (I remember asking him once if he knew Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, and he of course just started playing it), an artist, and an excellent conversationalist. In fact, one of the things I liked best about talking with Grandpa is that he was far more interested in ideas--philosophy, politics, religion--than he was in gossip, celebrity, or any of the fleeting trends that seem to dominate our national discourse.
Grandpa Reiss was my last surviving grandparent. I grew up in Phoenix and my family would take several trips a year to San Diego, and consequently I spent more time with my G & G Reiss than any other relatives. I feel fortunate to have known all 4 of my grandparents; but I feel particularly fortunate to have known Grandpa as an adult, and to have spent so much time with him. A few years ago I was attending the ESRI conference in San Diego and I took the train up to Solana Beach to make dinner for Grandpa and hang out for a few hours. While dinner was in the oven, we sat on his patio, watched the sunset, and split a six pack of Moosehead (his favorite beer). It was great talking with him and just hanging out. I remember thinking at the time "Wow, how many guys get to drink a beer with their grandpa and have a conversation about foreign policy?"
He was a great guy and an awesome Grandpa. I will miss him.
(This picture was taken in early September, the last time we were in San Diego, and the last time I saw him)
2 comments:
Sorry about your loss. What a gift to have had your grandpa in your life for so many years, and to have had such a close relationship with him. Thanks for sharing his inspiring traits with us -- I'm sure he'll be missed in his community as well.
What a nice tribute, that is just the perfect picture of a life done right. I'm so sorry to hear about your Grandpa. Please send our condolences to your whole family.
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