Farewell to Grandpa Noble

While we were on our trip last weekend we received word that Jason's grandfather had passed away.  He'd been in the hospital since he broke his hip in a fall in early March and had recently been placed on hospice.  We made the trip down to California this weekend for his funeral.

Noble Junior Waite

It was a very nice service filled with kind words and lots of music.  I didn't know him all that well, so it was neat for me to hear some of the stories about him as a young boy.  He certainly led a long, full life and left behind some wonderful memories in his friends and posterity. The feeling I got both at the viewing and the funeral was one of peace.  While those who he left behind will certainly miss him, they understood that he was no longer suffering and that he was finally able to be united with his first wife who died in a car accident almost 23 years ago.

Leila did remarkably well during the services (well, aside from treating me as her personal jungle gym) and she was definitely the hit of the party.  One lady who was sitting behind us even told me that Leila was her saving grace because every time she would be about to break down in tears, she would look at Leila and couldn't help but smile.  She certainly brings joy into the lives of those around her--even perfect strangers!  This is something I also admired about Noble.  He had quite the sense of humor and loved to make people laugh.

There was quite the funeral procession from the church in Huntington Beach all the way to Rose Hills Memorial Park (about 30 miles) where he was laid to rest next to his wife.  Jason had the opportunity to be one of the pallbearers.  I had been to the cemetery with Jason once before and don't blame them for choosing this resting place.  On a clear day, you can see the Los Angeles skyline and the cemetery is wonderfully maintained.

God be with you, Grandpa Noble, until we meet again!