Grandpa was a very well known and respected heart surgeon in Calgary, Alberta. He was raised working on a farm and later went to school to become a Doctor. He developed the Triple Bypass surgery. He passed away when I was 17 years old, of heart failure. Kind of ironic.
Grandpa was a sweet and gentle man. I never saw him get angry. He loved jam on his corn flakes and always made sure there was Ginger Ale and Haagen Dazs ice cream in the fridge. He had a great appreciation for the outdoors and always loved to take us grand-kids hiking and horse back riding.
He kept his cash crumpled up in his socks because he claimed the nurses couldn't steal it from him while in surgery if it was in his socks.. He always wore cowboy boots, with one pant leg tucked in and the other out, and sported a cowboy hat on occasion.
We would always eat at the Glenco Club in Calgary and one summer while eating hamburgers on the patio a bumblebee landed on Grandpa's burger. He immediately smashed it into his hamburger and ATE it. He just said, "Yum! More protein."
He had the softest hands ever!
When I was in 5th grade I developed a painful cyst on the palm of my hand. He personally drove me to a doctor (Dr. Remington) to remove the growth. Once the little surgery was complete Grandpa asked the Doctor how much he owed him. Dr. Remington said, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house." He was good friends with everyone. Even while vacationing at his cabin in Waterton people would come knocking on the door in need of the good Doctor. He would help them, diagnose them, and perform small procedures on them all for free.
He always looked forward to attending the Calgary Stampede and watching the covered wagon races. I loved going to the early morning, parking-lot breakfasts with him. They made the best pancakes ever!
We had Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house every Sunday afternoon and Grandpa would always invite anyone that didn't have a place to go. He had such a generous heart and made everyone feel so welcome.
He is a great man and we believe he is watching over us. I know there will be a big hug, juicy kiss and a warm welcome waiting for us when we get to the other side. We love you Grandpa!
2 comments:
Your Grandpa Bob Walker was wonderful man. One of my early memories of him was being in his car in Raymond - probably on July 1st - when your mom asked him to buy her a watch. He said, "Flora, when you learn to tell time, I will buy you a watch." She was probably about 3 or 4. It tells you a lot about how kind, generous and practical he was.
BJ: You hit the nail on the head with that sweet synopsis of DAD'S life! I am so glad that you remember him so fondly! Yes, he was a great man! Everyone loved him so much and he loved to visit with EVERYONE... I used to accompany him and Mom to wedding receptions and he would be the last to leave because he had to visit and chat with everyone. We were the last to leave church, too. He used to conduct or preside at a lot of meetings and he would often fall asleep because of operating all night the night before. He looked sound asleep on the stand and then he would stand up and conclude the meeting by summarizing everyone's talks!
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