Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Ed was always a convivial and welcoming person. Whenever I would come to visit, someone would ask me what I would like to drink, and Ed would always cut them off, "He wants a cold, frosty beer". At which point he would pull out a mug from the freezer and a Genesee from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. And we would all end up playing games of pinocle at the kitchen table, or out in the dining room.
One day, we were working on his Windstar, which had a bad passenger-side window motor. We had pulled off the interior panel, and were trying to diagnose the problem. And, of course, we had opened a couple of Genesees before we got started. While he held the switch in the "down" position, I tapped on the motor with a hammer, and suddenly the window went down. "You fixed it!", he said, with a look of surprise and glee. But I think what he really enjoyed was working on a project with his future son-in-law.
Even after my divorce, Ed always kept in touch. Whenever he came out to the Bay Area, Ed always made an effort to get together with us. In our house, "Grandpa Ed" was known for big things. Lions. Bears. You wouldn't think that stuffed animals could get any bigger, but Ed always seemed to be trying to outdo himself.
You have found your peace Ed. Rest well. We will all miss you.
