Remembering a remarkable man.

My Uncle Harold passed away on Sunday. I laid awake last night remembering many great memories that I had of him. We visited him last while in NC about a week and a half ago and, at the age of 86, he was reminding me (at 36) about a funny story involving a visit we had in Tennessee when I was a pre-teen that I had totally forgotten. Harold had a better memory than anyone I have ever known. He was a WWII Marine and could tell you every detail about the day he shipped out to the war, down to the date, the train he took, who was with him, etc. I remember him telling me about his courting my aunt and taking his horse and buggy home, where he would fall asleep and his horse would lead him on home. I loved to hear the story about the time he broke his nose while at work, he then went to the bathroom and straightened it himself and then went right on back to work. I also remember him offering to buy me and my sister boxing gloves because we fought so much :) He grew the best vegetables in his garden for many, many years even after his retirement. He walked my sister down the isle at her wedding. He took care of dozens of stray cats, which I loved to see every summer and raised cattle on his land. Harold had many dogs over the years, my favorite being Cracker, who would bark at the mailman like a true German Shepard attack dog but on the next hand would lie down immediately at Harold's command to preform tricks for us, one being balancing a cracker on his mouth until being told that he could eat it. Having lost all grandparents and my dad by nine, Harold was like a grandfather to me, though he was too young, being only five years older than my father. He was an incredible man and I had the honor of spending many summers at his house, as he always welcomed my family to stay for weeks on end when we came in from overseas to visit for the summer months. He will be missed by many and was loved by all. The world is a much better place because he was in it.