Ode to a Patriarch

A truly good man is hard to find

A great man is harder still    

It takes pride and hope and heart 

And those are hard shoes to fill 

I knew such a man as this
Whose life and love was pure
Family was his greatest joy
On this he was always sure


He was a musician and writer

a mason with an artist's hand

a champion roller skater

and a navy man

You could come to him for willing ears

for jokes, tales or advice

Ask and he could answer
Though you might have to ask it twice


He was a father, husband
brother, friend and more
His memory has shaped us
We are what he lived for


Now we must continue on
As he would want us to
To live and love and learn
Granddaddy We Love You.