In Memoriam- Grandpa Peach

 

 

Eulogy for Grandpa Peach

George Joseph Peach. He was a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a friend, an uncle, a father, and a husband. To most of you here, he was one of these things. But to seven very fortunate individuals he was grandpa, or Paw Paw. And to my three very special children he was great-grandpa. And oh what a great grandpa he was.

For most of my childhood, our family lived just three blocks from our Grandpa and Grandma Peach. They were a huge part of our lives, especially my grandpa- as he was retired and always available when we needed him. They were at every recital, ball game, and school program. I can’t even tell you how many times my grandpa brought me lunch money because I had forgotten, or brought me up dinner to the school in between my practices. He taxied me around, as well as my friends, and each time he’d pass his old house on Lincoln he’d tell us all about it…again. Several times in college he would drive me to and from Murray State when I wanted to come home on the weekends, before I had a car on campus. He and my grandma also came for a few visits. All of my friends always got a big kick out of my grandpa’s stories- stories that I had of course heard several times. Stories that many of you have heard several times.

Grandpa and Grandma came to visit us in Memphis several times too. They came for, or shortly after, every birth of their great-grandchildren, and for several of their birthday parties and other visits too. It was such a blessing to see my grandpa interact with my kids. I consider myself so fortunate to have had him in my life for 37 years, and I consider my kids doubly fortunate to have spent several years with great grandpa Peach.

He was so proud of all his grandchildren and bragged on all of us. My brothers, Jordan and Erik, could tell a similar story to mine of how involved grandpa was in their lives. He was such a huge part of our lives and had such a huge impact on all of us. My grandpa was a man that my brothers looked up to and respected. He’s always been a man they could depend upon. He was always available to help us, our mom, and anyone really. He was so very loyal and dependable. He could sometimes be serious and a little gruff, but he was usually smiling, telling jokes and stories, and being ornery. He had such a great chuckle, and a sparkle in his eyes when he smiled.

When you’re a kid, it seems like your grandparents will live forever. As you get older, you begin to realize that this isn’t the case. This person that has been such a huge part of your life, that you can’t imagine ever not being there, is one day gone. As much as you might think you are prepared, you find that their death hits you hard.

Most of you know that my grandpa was a devout Catholic. He was so proud of St. Clare, his priest, and this beautiful new sanctuary. He loved all of the wood and beams in here. His faith had a huge impact on me. I went to church with them often as a child and adolescent, and the Lord really used that exposure to the Catholic faith as a seed that later in my life God grew into my own faith and relationship with Christ. I’m so thankful for that.

My grandpa died on March 18^th, so his last full day on earth was St. Patrick’s Day- one of my favorite saints. My grandpa also died during Lent, a very important season in the Catholic faith, as well as other traditions.

During Lent we are to remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return. In the book Circle of Seasons the author states, “Lent is about the painful acknowledgement of our mortality, the sense of sadness at the reality of having to let go of all we hold dear, the proclamation of Jesus’ death on my behalf, and the hope of the resurrection.” When I was a kid and teen Lent was just the countdown to Easter, and Easter baskets, and Easter candy. And actually, I have so many great memories of our family going to Easter mass with my grandparents and then having lunch, hunting Easter eggs, and eating lots of sweets.

Now Lent and Easter carry a much deeper meaning for me. Again from Circle of Seasons, we are told, “Lent is a time to reckon with darkness and death. We do so with hope, because this season of darkness ends in Easter, in resurrection, in new life. But we can be raised to new life only if we have died to the old one. That is the challenge- and the gift- of Lent.”

So even now as we grieve the death of my grandpa, we can have hope, because for those who trust Christ, death is not the end of the story. Death is the end of a chapter. My grandpa has now begun his next chapter, and we too can join him in that great never-ending story if we also trust Christ. The Author and Creator of that Story invites us all to join him, and I believe my grandpa would invite us as well.