My great-grandfather passed away today at around 1pm. He was 98. Grandpa Ed had been slowly going down hill over the past few months, and we were not sure when his time would come. I spoke with my mom at 12:38pm, and they were just about to leave to go over and visit him (they had been visiting at least once a week since the summer began), and he passed away sometime before they arrived. I got the call from my dad at 1:38pm. I don’t know any of the arrangements yet, but I will be heading home for a few days soon.

Everyone used to always joke with grandpa Ed that he’d make it to 100 and more; even earlier in the year, he was at the gym, exercising on the treadmill! The last time I saw him, he had been in the hospital because fluid was filling up in his lungs. I only got to see him for about 5 minutes because he was tired, so I’m sad that that was the last time I got to see him. I spoke with him briefly on the phone the day after my birthday, but he couldn’t hear me on the phone. What probably bothers me the most is the fact that I never got to speak with him while he was on his death bed. My parents told me that even though his body deteriorated, he remained strong in his mind to the very end. He was frustrated that his body was giving out on him, when his mind was still completely there. Grandpa could tell you stories from the 1940s as if they’d happened yesterday. He knew a lot about the world, and loved to talk about it with his great-grandchildren, because he was determined that it would be us that would change the world for better or for worse.

He was one of my biggest supporters over the course of my life. Grandpa would always tell me that if I worked hard, I’d go places. He would always brag about his great-grandchildren to his card buddies. I was really proud to tell him that I was accepted to MIT, and every time I saw him he would ask me about my research. Even though he lived a long and fruitful life, I wish he could have been around a bit longer to see his younger great-grandchildren grow up. It brought him such joy to see how much each of us had grown (both physically and mentally) over the years.

Sigh. I think I myself will be fine. Although death is always unfortunate, I’ve been anticipating the call from my parents ever since I came back to MIT. Every time my parents phoned, I would get nervous, thinking that this might be it, but it never was until now. I’m much more concerned about his wife, my great-grandma Kay (he remarried, so she isn’t related to me by blood, technically), my Grandma (his only daughter) and my Mom (she was always his favorite grand-daughter). I’m going to be sure to spend plenty of time with them while I’m home to help them get through this.