My grandpa…Norman Victor Bill

My grandpa passed away yesterday. I don’t know what to say to help you know just how great a man he was. He was my grandpa. He’d greet me each visit with a “hi-hi”, a huge hug and a smile. He would talk in Swedish with huge smiles knowing I didn’t understand a thing he was saying. A long time ago Mike did an interview with grandpa and made a recording of him counting and speaking a little bit. I don’t know where it is right now but I am going to find it this week. He so loved Mike. He was always so proud of everything Mike did and he’d make sure everyone else knew too. He was a man that loved kids, kids of any size really. My daycare kids loved him as much as he them. When we’d do our fire trucks at school he’d help grandma watch my little ones for an hour or two. The last wee one he got to spoil was Hannah and I remember coming back from school with the fire trucks and both him and Hannah were sound asleep in his chair. Hannah would stop in to say hi to “pop-pop” when we’d go visit. Friday I took all my daycare kids to say good-bye to grandpa. They didn’t know it was a final good-bye but it’s something they’ll remember if they want too.

Before we left for camping this weekend, I sat with grandpa and he held my hand. He kept reaching out for me and he’d squeeze. He couldn’t speak much anymore but a visit early in the week had him looking at me and telling me he was hanging in there. He had beautiful eyes, eyes that always knew what was up. His hugs were strong and loving.

I’m going to really miss grandpa. Did you know, of course you couldn’t I didn’t tell you yet, that him and grandma were married for over 70 years. Can you just imagine being married that long? I hope that one day my grandson/granddaughter can say that about Jim and I. Can you imagine being married that long and now have to face life alone? I feel so sorry for grandma.

Grandpa leaves behind a wife, 2 sons and daughter-in-laws, 5 grand children, 6 great grandkids and a life time of friends that who all loved him for always.

Thursday is grandpa’s funeral at his favorite church and then on Friday we are taking him quite a ways to be buried with his family.

I so loved my grandpa and I am so glad that I know that he is in heaven with all his family waiting for all of us one day to be reunited. I will miss grandpa terrible.

NORMAN VICTOR BILL, 97 years old and will never ever be forgotten.

Tach Scata hof – Many thanks in Swedish…….he said this all the time.