Grandpa Guinn's Funeral

In May, we got a surprise call that my Grandpa Guinn had died. Immediately we started making plans to go to the funeral in Cottonwood, Arizona.

I have always had a soft spot for my grandpa. He was a very quiet, kind man. I remember many summer days stretched out on a lawn chair beside my grandpa underneath the large trees in front of his house. He had a way of making me feel special without saying much at all. It was my grandpa that taught me how to parallel park when I was in college. He was amazed that I didn't know how to parallel park and gave me a five minute lesson that stuck with me.

My grandpa was also a WWII veteran, a paratrooper in Europe and Africa. It gave me an admiration for his generation and the thousands of heroes that came from it. He would not speak about the war. It was always evident to me that the war was not some opportunity for Grandpa to brag about his heroism. He was horrified by the event. As a result, I know very little about him in the line of duty. I do know that he was awarded a Purple Heart.

Grandpa was also an adventurer. He owned and flew many small planes. Flying was a passion of his. He also frequented Mexico to fish for big ocean fish. In fact, a trip to Grandpa's always included going out to the garage to gawk at the HUGE sea bass skull mounted to the wall. It was the pride and joy of Grandpa and the grandkids. He was also an avid hunter. When he met Jeremy, the two had an instant bond talking about elk and deer hunting. It was the most I'd ever heard Grandpa say about anything.

Even as he grew older, Grandpa was eager to stay moving. He and Grandma would drive up to see us in their large motorhome or meet us at Fish Lake. And it was always that desire to keep moving that made Grandpa pack up and go home at 4:oo a.m. on departure day, if not before.

I will miss him so much. I really wish my kids had been a little older so that they could've have the opportunity to really know him. He was a wonderful man and I am very honored to be able to call him Grandpa.