My Uncle

When I was a kid, my uncle would sometimes bring my aunt and my three cousins (all girls) to visit us in Florida. Every summer, we'd drive back to Indiana and his house is where we'd stay.
I remember all sorts of things about those times. Like there was this giant hornets nest that he'd found and it was preserved and hanging in the garage. Sometimes he'd pitch pennies with us kids for fun if we were bored, or just do stuff outside with us.
He always included me with his girls.

When my parents split up, my mom (his sister) came back to Indiana and brought me. We had nowhere to go, and even though his oldest daughter had moved back home with three children (and his youngest was still at home - she's a couple years younger than me), he took us in. It was cramped, but a house full of love.
That house was on the channel of Lake Wawasee. He had a Ski Nautique boat that he let us kids take out on the lake whenever we wanted, and when my cousin and I wanted to go into Syracuse, he handed me the keys to his car. Even my dad never did that.
When my mom and I found an apartment, he helped us move...and then came over all the time to check on us and see if there was anything we needed. Some of those visits were my favorites because they'd often reminisce about growing up. I loved listening to stories about them living near a reservation and going to school with Indian kids, or his funny stories about his travels in the Air Force.

My mom and I moved back to Florida when I was 17, but I knew I wanted to come back. I didn't wait until I turned 18 and she knew wherever I landed, my uncle would keep an eye on me. Since my mom and dad were so far away, he sort of took me under his wing. I was always included in his "family" plans...right down to Father's day.
Those Christmases where I go to the lodge aren't extended family reunions; they consist of him and my aunt, their daughters (and their families)...and me. He never thought twice about me not being a part of things.
He really made me feel like I wasn't alone up here. I think that's why it wasn't so scary...at least in part.

My parents live so far away, when Minime was little in school, my uncle and aunt would show up for grandparents' day for her so she wouldn't be the only one without a visitor. They came to all of her basketball/soccer/volleyball games and most of her band concerts. They took her home for some weekends and always had fun times planned for her. She's never gone to stay at my mom's or dad's before, so this is really the only experience she has like other kids get. I'm so grateful they gave that to her. Along with many rounds of her and my uncle tree-golfing or building traps in his back yard for any stray kangaroos that happen to be wandering through the city.

Being an advocate of the Second Amendment, my uncle always carried everywhere...usually a .45 in the car and a Beretta .32 on his person. We never did get to go shooting together and that is my only regret.

My mom called me this morning to tell me he died in the middle of the night last night due to an aggressive cancer he was fighting.
I know he's not suffering any more, and my grief is only a selfish one...because I will miss him.
These are a couple of my favorite pics of him;

He and my aunt would have been married 50 years in just a few weeks. They are the most loving couple I've ever met...


This is me with him at a college graduation party for one of his granddaughters...


This was Thanksgiving...my mom flew up for a week to spend time with him. She kept telling him she thought he looked like Sean Connery.

This was at Christmas...he always played "Santa" and had a gift for EVERYone. Even now that his grandkids bring "dates" along, there's always a gift with the date's name on it.

Awesome man. He will leave a void on this earth that no other person can fill.
And heaven is now better for having him there.