Goodbye to Grandpa

I knew Stephen Hofsess as Grandpa because he was Grandpa to my six children. Five of them he knew very well. Little Holly, he met only briefly during his final days in the hospital. I'm glad he got to hear her sweet little voice. I'm also thankful that my wife, who will always be his princess, could be by his bed through most of his last week on this earth.

We said goodbye to Grandpa yesterday in the early morning hours. He said goodbye to pain and suffering and to all the tubes and wrappings that come with an Intensive Care Unit.

Steve was a classic Grandpa, complete with a grey mustache and bald top. On the outside, he was gruff, cut from the mold of Grumpy Old Men (minus the foul language). However, you didn't have to be around him long to see his kindness and deep affection for the people around him.

Lung problems limited Grandpa's ability to participate in many activities in recent years. However, he loved to watch his grandchildren throw a ball in his back yard, play with blocks or do puzzles on his living room floor or sit on his lap and watch TV.

We're delighted for Grandpa, and we look forward to the day when we'll be reunited, but we miss him already.