Goodbye to an old man who never grew up.

Charles Lee Butler, August 28 1920 - November 26 2010

My dad wrote a little memoir for his dad - and the recurring theme of it was, in fact, that he never did grow up.

My grandfather died last friday in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

This summer he turned 90. A good age. I only hope I can live so long so well.

For it wasn't until he was 83 before he stopped flying his airplane. Of course, he gave up the motorcycle long before that, but he did take up a motor scooter in the last few years (he stopped driving the truck). It wasn't until the 80's (1980's) that he kind of sort of retired from farming a huge dryland wheat farm in southeast wyoming. I don't know when he gave up his pistol - I guess that was in the 90's, probably close to the time he gave up smoking. He gave up golf in this millenium. And I think he stopped arguing with me in 2007. Meanwhile, he never gave up being cantankerous, telling jokes, arguing with my grandma (married 70 years, come Feb 2011), being generous, playing cribbage, and flirting with cute chicks (old or young). As my dad said, he never grew up.

And in memory, my best times would have been riding around in the farm equipment with him, drinking his coffee, watching him in the shop (best diesel mechanic I know), rough-housing with him, playing cribbage, and watching him enjoy my boys as they were just infants - the loving look in his eyes as he rocked them in their carseat. Oh, and I can clearly hear his voice in my head - calling me "Tommy" - whether I was in trouble, causing mischief, needing to wash my hands, or enjoying hanging out with him.

He's loved, and been loved. And he's been human - very much so. One day, he and my grandmother visited us in Oregon - and as he sat in our living room he confessed to "being a bit of a bore" (not much of a conversationalist). He isn't esoteric, metaphysical, iconoclastic or existential. He just was my grandfather.

We said good bye last summer. And now I'm saying it again. Good bye grandpa. Go well.

Comments

[Lara Shook]

Why did he stop arguing with YOU? Are you special? ;-)
Love, Lara
P.S. Nice reading. Thanks.