June 14, 1927 - August 27, 2017
Gene's funeral was held on September 1st, 2017 at St. Mary's Catholic Church. His entire family participated in his Mass. Kathleen delivered a eulogy that described her grandfather's positivity.
A few years ago, Grandpa and I were neighbors in East De Pere. Because we lived only a few blocks away from one another, we often found ourselves in the car together. Every time we crossed over the De Pere Bridge, my grandpa would comment on how beautiful the view was. It didn’t make a difference what season it was, what the weather was like or even if there was construction. Without fail, he would look out the window and say something along the lines of “Beautiful sunset tonight, huh?” or “Look at those trees!” or “The college sure is something under that snow.” My personal favorite was, and I quote, “You know, I’ve traveled all over the world, Kathleen, and the view from this bridge is the most beautiful of them all.” I’m not kidding. It got to the point where I began kind of egging him on because I got a kick out of the sincerity of the sentiment—it was like a new thought every time. We had been sharing this routine for about two years when my mom called me one night and said, “I was driving Grandpa home tonight and do you know what he told me? He said, “You know, Kathleen sure loves the view from this bridge.’”
My grandpa always had a way of seeing things as better than they really were. He referred to his childhood summers as a glorified day laborer as “Cherry Camp.” He reminisced about his military days the way one tells tales about travels with old friends. He once sat at a grade school band concert of mine and Erin’s, in a gymnasium of all places, and told my dad that if he closed his eyes he could hear the Wisconsin marching band. Every family dinner, every campfire, every O’Doul’s and every sunset over the De Pere Bridge was the best he had ever experienced. When my mom was planning of my grandpa’s 90th birthday party earlier this summer, I reminded her that even if only a handful of people showed up or we forgot the cake or there wasn’t enough food, Grandpa would remember it as the best birthday party anyone had ever had!
What a gift, to see things as better than they truly are! In a world that is imperfect, flawed, and at times downright ugly, my grandpa chose to see the beauty. In a time that values cynicism and indifference over passion, Grandpa unabashedly sought out the good. And he loved it all. He loved us all. In loving the world the way he did, he made it more beautiful, the same way he made the view from that bridge more beautiful, the same way he made us more beautiful. We would often facetime, and every single time we chatted, even at the end when my face was splotchy and eyes bloodshot from crying, he would look me straight in the eye and tell me that I looked beautiful. Grandpa’s love made each and every one of us beautiful and I have no doubt that if he was standing here right now, he would look out at this crowd and say that this is the most beautiful gang he had ever seen.
Grandpa embraced dying the same way he embraced living—with eternal optimism and utmost faith in his future. I find great solace in knowing that now Grandpa is in a place that is not only as beautiful, but even more beautiful, than even he could have imagined. And that is saying something.
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