Our Dear Poppa, The Patriarch

Poppa,
A true definition of a man, indefinitely…
Man of his Word, though he didn’t use words to communicate, just actions
But whenever he spoke, his words were solid & measured, no filler, no chaser
Dry and humorous
 
So wise, so wise, so wise he was…
Dependable, Master of time, tongue, tools and toil
Man of God, never boasted his obedience, nor Bible-thumped, nor judged –
Wisdom was his middle name!
Proof was in his daily walk, he submitted his will to His Will!
 
As a result, he was blessed bountifully,
With 88 youthful years yonder
Last 30 of which were golden blissful years of fruitful retirement,
That last portion was my entire lifetime…
And within that,
12 final years of shaping & molding his youngest grandson into a budding reincarnation of himself…
 
Poppa was old school,
Traditional in every sense, yet so unconventional & current
Grew up during the Depression,
Knew the value of hard work, providing & protecting…
But embraced change, served in Wars,
Participated in Civil Rights movements,
Locally & nationally
In his quiet, humble, steadfast way -
Even sent emails from his “email-bag”, and text messages too
 
He was always present
At family functions,
Gleeful gatherings
His presence was persistent,
On time, consistent
We insisted upon taking him for granted -
Granted, he was our security blanket,
A cloak of reassurance, our foundation, a
Rock resource to glean from our
DNA, our genealogy…
 
Chrichlow…
An unusual name can’t nobody pronounce
Unless they know the silent –h- “secret”…
And an intellect unrivalled by our peers
All the above inherited from his bloodline
Our dearly departed father, his only son,
Was valedictorian times over & early graduate
I attended Poppa's High School, so
Sprinkled through his descendants was a strong angle for mathematics, politics & the arts
 
So much more influence was passed down from this one of a kind man
The impact he left all those he touched in 88 years
Will never be forgotten
Will never scratch the surface of this piece…
 
He worked long & hard to the fullest
Now it’s his time to rest, meet His Maker
Reunite with our beloved grandmother & others…
For his job is done - a job well done!
 
Poppa,
Thanks for teaching us so much
By living a life of integrity
By showing us instead of telling us
By keeping it Simple!
 
You are a Legacy! We are proud to say,
We are part of you, and we are grateful!
We Miss You Poppa, and love you Forever and Ever!

Sincerely,

The Chrichlow Family