My Incredible Grandpa who left a legacy

My dear grandpa, Robert Beil, passed away Thursday, February 17, 2011, at the age of 80. Words cannot describe the joy this man brought to our family. He will be missed so very much. I started preparing a speech for my Grandparents' 60th wedding Anniversary that is next month, and since my grandpa's passing, have decided to tweak it a little bit for myself and my cousins to share at his memorial service. I decided to document it on this blog for a way to savor the memories and share with others how much my grandfather meant to me. This is a collaborated work with my 5 cousins.

Grandpa was a man who wore his emotions on his sleeves and wasn't ashamed of it - he was proud of it.  He spoke his mind and was genuinely interested in hearing the opinions of those who spoke their minds as well.  He cried.  A lot.  Mostly out of passion and a true abundance of love for his family.  One of the first questions Cheryl asked after Grandpa's passing was, "Who's going to cry at all the prayers?"  At any family dinner or gathering, Grandpa always lead us in prayer and his words were always centered around his love for his family and how he blessed he felt.  There were so many things that made Grandpa such an admirable person.  In celebration of his life, we've put together a Top 10 list of sorts - the things we'll most remember about Grandpa as we look back on his life and all the ways he has influenced us.

The top 10 things our Grandpa has taught us.........

10. It's 5 o'clock somewhere - Grandpa was an entertainer, and enjoyed cocktail hour at the Beil household. As long as we were all together, it was 5 o'clock somewhere.

9. Jokes get funnier when you repeat them -  I think this has been passed down to his kids too, but we'll often hear the same jokes over and over again when we all get together. An example would be "Do you think that green stuff in your nose is funny, well it's snot."  He was also quite the magician.  We could never figure out how that quarter got behind our ears!  His jokes and his humor never got old!  

8. Spend time outside, preferably by a pool - Some of our fondest memories were spent at Grandma & Grandpa's pool every year. He always played a mean game of water volleyball, and even played 3 games last Father's Day.  He loved soaking up the sun while visiting with family and friends.    

7. How to drive with style - Grandpa always kept a clean car. I think the people at the carwash knew him personally. He always looked good driving his convertible too, and mastered the secret of how to drive a convertible without messing up his hair!  There has always been a longstanding competition amongst the cousins about who would get the convertible when Gramps was ready to get rid of it.   

6. Generosity - Grandpa really enjoyed taking us out to dinner or lunch. He really cherished the time we shared meals together, and was often stubborn and insisted on footing the bill. 

5. Be cultured! Grandpa had really enjoyed good jazz music, art, and various Chicago architecture. He really enjoyed going to Jazz Vespers at church, and reading about Frank Lloyd Wright. He also loved getting to see some shows and musicals in the city.  

4. Don't believe everything you hear.  Grandpa taught us to be a skeptic and question things. He was always reading up on current events, and was quite a progressive thinker. The fact that he donated his body to science shows just how progressive he was.

3. Accept anyone no matter what! We've had the privilege of welcoming new people into our family through marriage. Our grandpa has always been so warm to anyone new coming into our family. He makes them feel welcome and treats them as they are part of his family. 

2. Don't take yourself too seriously.  Who else has a grandpa who willingly enters a hairiest chest contest on family cruise, sports a speedo and renames himself "Lance" for the duration of the trip? .

1. Always tell people how you feel about them. Even though he would tell us how proud he was of us each and every time he saw us, it never got old and always meant so much.  We feel so blessed to have the grandfather that we did.  We've learned so much about how to live life abundantly through him. So Grandpa, now it's our turn to say "We are so proud of you and we love you. Thank you for everything you have taught us."