At 3:45AM CST, surrounded by family, my 98 year-old maternal grandfather passed away due to various recent health complications. UPDATE: my vlog about this experience youtu.be/0q4oph6VjP0 has just been posted. WARNING: I cry a bit. He went by Bus, and remained my last living grandparent - having lost our paternal grandfather when I was but a child, and never having known my paternal grandmother at all. My maternal grandmother passed away but a few years ago, and my own dad had suggested that she was like a mother to him because he lost his mother when he was on active duty in the Marines. You might have known Grandpa, too - given that we shared part of his story in the Worlds Oldest Geek video a couple of years ago when he was a spry 96 (youtube/watch?v=ECGFGgDOaHc). Ive spoken of him in just about every answer given to the When did you know you loved technology question; it was at his Commodore Vic20 connected to a tiny black and white television that Id spend many summer days pounding away rather than playing outside. Geek is in my genes. I have a lifetimes worth of memories with him, and am grateful for that. Plans were set for me to fly in later this week when things took a turn for the worse yesterday. I had suggested to my family, in an off-handed way, that if it came down to it: we should FaceTime. I was not expecting to fulfill that opportunity minutes after suggesting it. Yesterday evening, my brother Ben held the iPad down so that Grandpa could see Diana and me. It was obvious that his health was deteriorated. I had never seen him this way, but pushed through what Diana and I wanted to tell him. My brother Adam was also in the room, as well as one of our cousins. We didnt mind the company. At this point, Grandpa couldnt speak - but when we told him something very private, his eyelids widened a bit and he mouthed through something silently. Id like to believe that he heard and understood what we were saying. Of course, I think the ol rascal wanted to steal Diana from me, anyway (jokingly, of course). Im sure it was a positive response. Im glad that we were able to tell him what we did, when we did... and choke through a true Good-bye, Grandpa. I figured that would be the last time wed speak with him, too. I was wrong. Around 1:00AM (Seattle time), I had sent a message to my family (Mom, Dad, Ben, Adam). It was a suggestion that Diana had made: to hold his hand and communicate through squeezes. Twenty minutes later, my Mom was calling me. They didnt expect him to make it through the night. This was it. This. Was. It. I didnt think about asking, but Mom gave us a chance to say something over the phone. Diana and I, then, made a very humble request of him - something that we did not think of asking for earlier. Then Mom, standing vigil solo, let us go and continued to contact family members to bring them in for Grandpas final moments. Less than fifteen minutes later (before all family could arrive), our grandfather passed quietly. W0WSJ is on a different frequency now. The sadness comes in waves, as it often does when dealing with death - though Pirillos are known for dealing with tough situations through awkward humor. It had been mentioned by both Diana and my brother Adam that tomorrow (Monday) would have been my grandmothers birthday were she still alive. So, I keep thinking... maybe Grandpa wanted to surprise her by showing up a day early? Ill likely be vlogging my thoughts today, while most people celebrate the Super Bowl (maybe Grandpa wanted a better seat?) - or theyll be found reflecting upon the passing of a famous actor who lost his life due to a drug overdose. Will everybody remember Grandpa? No, but fame doesnt make one great - what you do with your life makes you great. I could only hope to live a life half as fulfilling (and long) as his. I will likely not be responding to every thoughtful person who wishes our family well, but know that we all do appreciate the sentiments. We will be okay; our family is strong. I share this experience publicly because I am but a small part of his legacy, and his stories are legendary... if only to me. Thanks, Grandpa - for everything.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:02:04 +0000
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