Grandpa Pippin

Grandma Pippin asked that the older grandkids share a 1-2 minute Favorite Memories with Grandpa talk at the service today. In my book, the gift of words is priceless. Coincidentally, Kiana had been reading through a journal I'd written in when she was a toddler, and came up with a perfect one. She smiled. That was a welcome relief signal I wouldn't have to fight her to face her severe dislike of public speaking.

Ethan brought the slide rule grandpa had given him awhile back, as well as a framed picture of Grandpa, Stuart and newborn Ethan taken after church one Sunday in Provo when they visited for his cousin's baby blessing. It's been on Stuart's bedside table ever since.

            Us nerds have to stick together. Grandpa was a Civil Engineer – aka “Nerd” – which meant he was super cool in my book. Grandpa and I had a lot of things in common.

I had an early passion for trains. Mine were more of the Thomas the Train version, and he got me all excited about showing me some trains he had on my next trip up. They were special trains and I couldn’t wait, asking often when we’d visit. He cautioned they weren’t to be played with, but I was so excited when he showed me those trains. I still remember that box of trains – they’ve been on top of the fridge in the garage because I watched him put them up there 10 years ago and they were still there on my last trip.

Grandpa liked whole wheat bread with lots of “stuff” on for his sandwiches. Toast wasn’t done unless it was black and cookies weren’t baked right unless they were crispy.

Grandpa once had all the grandkids come into the family room at a Family Reunion and gave us empty quarter collection books. Then he surprised us by bringing in a HUGE container full of quarters to sort by state together in crazy chaos. He had saved those quarters for a loooong time, just for that moment. When I see state quarters, I remember that day.

He took the boy cousins and I fishing. On a drive back to Oregon from Utah with Kiana and I he drove us by a house he had once lived in, in a very hilly town, and lots of bridges he talked about. I can’t remember the town, but I do remember the pictures in my head.

We shared a love of math and science. He gave me his old calculator and this slide rule (show) – he said, “This got astronauts to the moon.”

I called Grandpa a few months ago for information for a scholarship on backflow prevention. He geeked out a bit telling stories about incidents, the city he’d worked for – it was epic nerd conversation! I loved that.

Grandpa would listen to me play the violin and he’d ask who I listened to. We both listened to classical music and he’d tell me performers he liked.

He loved the History Channel, guns and the NRA. He’d start a sentence with, “You know, I gotta tell ya…”

I don’t remember this actual event, but for 17 years my dad has had this picture on his nightstand. (show) It’s a 3-generation picture of me, my dad and Grandpa, taken after church one Sunday. Grandpa had a love of the gospel, family and simple things. One day, I hope I’ll have a picture just like this on my nightstand.