It was an average, packed day when Harriet received a call in the evening. She listened and then exclaimed, ‘oh no’! Harriet doesn’t express that tone often so when she does, I know it’s serious. She moved the phone away from her face for a few seconds and whispered to me, ‘Opa passed away this morning…’

I felt my chest cavity caving in and remember it being a very dark, quiet moment. I felt like I had just been hit in the blind spot of my heart.

My grandfather was an exceptional man. From what I knew of him, regretfully little compared to some, he was a head-strong man with great dreams, and the rare ability to achieve them. He was a passionate man who stood for what he believed in. He was a generous man, with his time, talents and money. He pursued excellence, and lived it in every area of his life. He was a faithful, patient and loving man who always put his family at the top of his priority list.

It pains me to reflect deeply on my situation vis a vis him; I did not take the time, nor in many ways was I afforded it, to get to know my grandfather in the way I would have liked. By the time I recognized his talents, the value of his experiences and the tremendous amount he had given me, my relationship with my grandparents was in need of severe mending, mostly because of the distance time away from one another creates and my poor communication.

I am left now with the words and imagery that others share of their time with him. At his funeral on 4-5 November 2007, I found myself asking as many people as possible what he was like, what they found most inspiring about him and what they learned from him.

Although not a perfect man, he had clear leadership ability, patience, compassion and a focused mind throughout all of his 86 years with us. These gifts he managed were the foundation of the company he built into a world leader in industrial adhesives, Helmitin. I managed to get a hold of some documents (8.7MB) which celebrate some of my grandfather’s accomplishments and one of Helmitin’s brochures which briefly markets the company. Download and read them if you are interested.

Opa, my deepest respect to you for your passion, your determination, your impact and your love. You will not be forgotten.

Powered by ScribeFire.