Uncle Graham

My great-uncle Graham passed away this weekend. He was 99. Uncle Graham was an amazing man, from an amazing family. He was my paternal grandmother's big brother, they were born only 18 months apart. Both of them were smart beyond imagination, both university educated, both kept their sharp minds and memories right until the end.


When my grandmother was in a nursing home (she was sharp as a tack but had many physical limitations) Uncle Graham would take the Go Bus from Hamilton to visit her, generally walking the 5 or so blocks from the bus stop to her residence. Up until 4 years ago he lived in a second floor walk up above his business. He moved to a retirement village mostly to have someone else cook for him (he'd been widowed some 10 years, and his wife had been insitutionalized close to a decade before she died of Alzheimers). Until a fall this past winter left him with a broken hip, he'd been incredibly independant.

But Uncle Graham was also sweet, funny, kind. More than anything else I'll remember his smile, which was always present. He lived a long, full life, but perhaps selfishly we all wish we'd been able to keep him around a little longer.

Until we meet again dear Uncle.