Grandpa Dick

At 1:30p Pacific Time yesterday Grandpa Dick lost his 14-year battle with cancer. He was 67 years old.

I first met Grandpa Dick in 2000 on my first trip to Portland. Dick was a kind, gentle man who looked for the best in everyone. A devout Christian, he believed his life was in God's hands, that every minute here on the Earth was a blessing meant to be used humbly in service of others. Countless times he and Grammy spent their vacation travelling long distances to build churches is other communities. He had always hoped to bring the RV out to Virginia for a visit.

I remember when he took me to visit the telephone company where he worked the majority of his professional life. It was amazing to see the systems that result in the phone company's near flawless up-time, as well as to understand how they combined existing technologies to create ISDN and DSL lines. We patched into the line that provided service to his house, Barn Haven, and said a quick hello to Grammy.

Yesterday, as I sat comforting Kristin, she remarked that there is mercy in his passing: His battle and pain is over. Yet the victory is a bittersweet one. Clara will be making her first trip to Portland in two week's time. How I wish she could have met the kind and gentle man that was Grandpa Dick.