I’m angry that I forgot when my last grandfather died. He meant so much to me, the man who was one of the best role models for me as a young boy. But, I have to remind myself that it’s more important to not forget the person—and I’ll never forget him.

He had been getting progressively worse in health since 2018, so we knew it was just a matter of time. But he was a tough man—despite having every health problem under the sun, he made it to 91. His wife, my grandmother? She passed away around ten years prior, not even making it to 80 despite having great health. Pancreatic cancer, versus my grandfather just not being able to keep going.

He died peacefully, we can say that for a fact. My uncle had just gone to bed, and with how the walls were set up in their house would be able to hear if the slightest thing went wrong. He slept soundly, waking up like he always did. Checking on his father was one of the first things he did each morning, so he did. His father was still, cold and truly at peace.

I don’t know how my uncle took it initially. He’s always been a stoic man, but that’s only because he prefers to not show his emotions. All I know is that he called the ambulance just in case, then called my mother. She told me once she got home, preferring to let me know in person.

Things moved quickly after that. We helped my uncle get my grandfather’s affairs in order, and prepared for the service. No funeral as per his wishes; just a graveside ceremony and burial next to his wife. It was nice, seeing family I rarely get to. Tragedy brought us together, but it also reminded us we were all still there.

I wrote a speech, something I wanted to say at the ceremony. I didn’t say it all; I noticed some parts were a bit maudlin and fortunately was able to read the room and go for some more uplifting remarks. Though we all lost a great man in our family, he had lived a colorful life we could remember fondly, even as tears blurred our vision. The last thing I’ll say is what I said next to his grave:

I had the privilege of getting to know two of my grandfathers. While they may have had very different lives, I believe that had they met each other they would’ve become fast friends.

Intelligence, wisdom through experience and a mind that refused to slow down are qualities they both expressed.

I remember when [my grandfather] had built this great wheel he had hung from the top of the workshop, filled with various nuts and bolts—all organized and sorted by another invention of his made from scrap to automate the process. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know what he was going to use those bolts for, or even where he’d keep his latest inventions—he saw a problem, and he wanted to create a solution for it.

He also had these electric scooters; I believe he had the goal of flipping them for a profit. They were faulty things, and I know [my uncle] has a fun story about pedaling one in the Florida heat for -miles- that just shows how much of a hassle they could be. But [my grandfather] was so excited about his big plan with them; and when it didn’t pan out it was onto the next idea—a modern Renaissance Man.

That was the kind of man who helped to shape not just me, but all of us here into who we are today. I know that wherever he is now, he’s happy—truly happy, as he gets to reunite with the woman he loved after years apart. I know he’s having a wonderful time—one that won’t ever end again.