I lost my grandfather yesterday. He had been battling cancer for the last five years, but I don’t want to talk about his death, and the horrible ways that disease can strip away someone’s humanity, but what his life was like. He was 93 years old and was born to an aristocratic mom and a dad, whom he described as "a hillbilly from Kentucky" which is somewhat an exaggeration but not too far from the truth. They built a nice life for my grandfather and his sisters in Seattle (that hillbilly eventually became the superintendent of the Seattle school district).

When WWII happened, my grandfather signed up as soon as he could, but when he did join in 1945, by the time he finished basic training, the war was essentially over. The army still sent him overseas, and he spent most of his time stationed in post war Europe. It had a profound effect on him, and he remained a passionate anti-war advocate throughout his life, and he was very involved in the Portland chapter of Veterans For Peace organization. He looked forward every Memorial Day and 4th of July being one of their key speakers at their events.

离开军队后，他利用了GI法案，去了华盛顿州。他在那里获得了历史学位，但更重要的是，他在那里遇到了我的祖母。从华盛顿州毕业后，他们去了华盛顿大学获得硕士学位。当他们完成学业并开始有一个家庭时，他们首先定居在温哥华，然后在波特兰定居。他在林肯高中找到了高中教学职位，并在那里教了教学，直到他于1991年或1992年退休。他教了历史，德语，最后是俄语。教俄语是对他的热情，并了解苏联，但更重要的是，了解其人民和文化。他每年夏天都在那里带学生，他会带回不同的手工木制玩具。在Perestroika时代，他带回了这些凉爽的T恤，我穿了它，直到它崩溃为止。

他的孩子出门在外后，我的祖父母在Corbett购买了土地，他设计和建造了他们的房子。我记得当他们建造它并在那里驾驶风筝时拜访他。我不知道它是多少英亩，但这很多。我喜欢那所房子和土地。它有野生的黑莓，敲响了该物业，我们会穿过高大的小麦田里捡起它们。在冬季，这也是雪橇的好地方。Corbett的财产使他能够追求他的另一个伟大的热情：葡萄酒。他每年都有自己的葡萄酒和一排葡萄酒。当他在夏天和他的学生在苏联离开时，我必须为他照顾他们。

When he and my grandmother retired, they sold their house in Corbett and moved closer into Gresham, but the call of the forest would cause him to purchase a cabin near Mt.Hood. My grandparents were avid hikers and skiers, so it made sense to have something close to the mountain. He loved going up there with one of their Australian shepherd dogs to hike and ski. Also, he loved the quiet and solitude that allowed him to concentrate fully on whatever he was reading or whatever paper or speech he was writing at the time.

正如我之前提到的，他参与了退伍军人的和平，而政治是他一生中的另一种热情。在越南战争期间，他参加了反战示威游行，甚至将整个家庭带到了旧金山。但是战争并不是他唯一抗议的事情。从核武器到华尔街的游行以及两者之间的任何事物，他都会支持当时他支持的任何事业。他相信为您的信仰而战，直接行动是影响变革的方法之一。几年前，他完成了他的第一本书，详细介绍了他一生的长期观点。我从妈妈那里发现，即使在为他的生命而战时，他最近完成了第二本书。

我很高兴我的女儿认识了他。曾孙很少能认识并记住他们的曾祖父母。每当我们见到他和我的祖母时，他都会与他们坐下，并想知道他们对事物和生活中所做的事情的看法。我将永远珍惜。

最后，我想说的是，谢谢您爷爷对我对历史，政治，自然的热爱，并没有以表面上的价值来质疑我在阅读，看或听到的内容。但主要感谢您成为我的祖父。

爱，

你的孙子