Poppy

Poppy

My poppy, i could talk to y’all about him for hours. He was sweet, gentle, stern, kind and so funny. He loved to dance, make jokes, even when we left for hospice he told me to go get his teeth bc he may need to bite somebody lol he never met a stranger. He was the only person that I know who could master eating a hot dog wienee & steak without his teeth in. He loved his family and treasured us more than anything. Most of you know him as the Willis or Jimmy. To us he was our poppy/dandy. Our beloved husband, father, grandpa & great grandpa.
He had a nickname for so many of you. The more kids I had he couldn’t keep the names straight so it was the big one, the little one & squirt. My brother and I were so lucky and blessed to grow up down the street from Mimi and poppy. We tore up that rode riding our bikes, rollerblading & running over there almost every single day. Drinking coffee milk on the porch swing, racing in the yard, making them watch the old school Batman movie 8 million times. There was never a time we asked to stay with them that they told us no. He loved us being there. Poppy & bud were in one bed and me and Mimi in the other and we would laugh and joke until we fell asleep. So many countless nights i can remember him sitting in his chair half asleep and me and mimi watching Law & Order. His favorite was Walker Texas Ranger and that’s how I came to truly appreciate The Chuck Norris. One of Poppy’s greatest joys was getting to take us for a ride on his backhoe. That’s a picture with him i will treasure forever. Every year from kindergarten through 12th grade my Poppy bought me a mum for homecoming. He was my first date. It wasn’t just any mum it had to be the best mum and it had to be Julie that made it. They were always beautiful.

Mimi and Pops are our biggest fans. They were at everything we did. Him and Bud which is my brothers nickname bonded over baseball he loved every single minute watching him play. I can still hear him talking to him about his swing. So many good memories were made with him on all those trips to watch him play. He loved all those boys. Poppy and I we had track. I think that’s why I loved it so much. In the summer I ran on the winged feet summer track team and him and Mimi helped take me to practices and they were at every meet. My last time at the state meet he stood by the fence at my third leg talking to me about that curve, I will never forget him teaching me how to run that curve, “get right up on that line and you hug it tight, sis hug it tight.” I can still picture him sitting in the stands with his hat on and his stop watch waiting at the finish line for me. I could always pick him out first and that’s how i knew where everyone was. I can promise you if your time didn’t match his he was going to let you know about it because his time was always right. Lol He would talk to me about how to come up out of those blocks and how not to wear those shoes on that gravel and you’re going to get gum on them shoes.. the day i did i didn’t quit hearing about it for awhile. Every time he got an East Bay magazine in He would call and I would sit with him in their living room floor or kitchen table going through all the track shoes bc I had to have the best pair. Don’t you dare try and tell him that any track shoe was better than Michael Johnson’s bc he would tell you 8 million reasons why it’s not.

He was so excited and so proud to give me those shoes and I will cherish them for the rest of my life.
My poppy loved the doc which is my husband adam, and Sugar which is Landons wife Jordan so much. And he loved my Mom like she was his own. Landon and I thought we were everything until our kids came along and now we are second best. He loves our kids so much and they love him deeply. They were the jewels of his life. His pride and joy. Him and Mimi were at everything they did. Getting to see him watch Kryslyn compete in her first summer track meet was something he loved so much and something I will treasure forever. He talked to me about for days afterward and we took a stroll down memory lane. I am thankful he got to see Avery play a tball game & kryslyns first player pitch game.
I miss his laugh and his smile. I miss hearing his stories. I miss when he would answer mimis phone and yell bc he couldn’t hear from her phone no matter how loud I yelled. I miss him looking at me and saying I love you so much Sis you know that, I always will and the hug that followed.
I know you and Aunt Sue are up there cutting a rug and up to no good. And you and your sisters & brother are having a blast. I’m sure you and your sisters have already had a scuffle or two, and I know your mom is so happy to see her Bubby. I know Sassy and Raider met you with wagging tails & a kiss.

I am so thankful to have been loved by you. I am so thankful for all the years God blessed us with you. My heart will miss you forever. There was never going to be enough time with you. To be your granddaughter has been one of the greatest titles I will ever have. Your love for us was so great that my heart has parts of it missing and will forever. I don’t know when the day will come when i can see a field or yard full of dandelions and it won’t hurt so much but i know you will be there loving me still when I do.
I am thankful to know a pain this deep bc I have been loved so well. After today I will dry my eyes like you told me to bc you said it will all be ok. I promise you, you did the right things and you went to the right place. While you wait for me remember our promise, & You get the track ready bc one day you and i are going to tear it up. I know God has promised us forever together and I hold onto His truths until i see you again. Until then watch over us and know that you will be missed every second of every day! I will love you always, Sis.