When the lights go out, turn them off like Grams. We lost her earlier this month, and she went out the way she wanted: quickly, peacefully and after two active decades of retirement.
Grams lived the western Americana dream. Born in Nebraska and raised in Missouri, her mother died when she was young, so she was independent at the start. She worked at a diner on Route 66 before heading west for work with her first husband. She had two daughters, divorced, and met Gramps, who famously took a newer drug called "Valium" on their wedding day to help take the edge off marrying into the young family. He had a great time.
They had two more girls, including my Mom, who they raised in the greater Seattle area. Grams worked her way up to eventually out-earn Gramps in her later years as a collections manager for Gai's Bakery and then Carnation and judged local restaurants based upon their accounting as much as their menu.
Grams is a retirement legend, living the past 20+ years at Deep Canyon Tennis Club in Palm Desert and the last 10+ since Gramps passed. I visited often over my adulthood, crashing with them for Coachella concerts, bringing friends, babymooning with Amanda, and visiting "Gigi" with the kids these recent years. All the while, she played tennis with the men's teams like the "The Motley Crew," and hit the gym weekly. She color coordinated all wardrobes from tennis visor to shoes, of which she owned 120 pairs. She danced and partied hard, including this past New Year's Eve, just days before she passed.
Grams loved you very, very much. I remember how excited she was for Mom and I to become parents, and we babymooned in Palm Desert before you were born. She loved holding you as a baby and as a “bigger kid” she helped outfit you at the tennis club with those matching outfits. You especially took to those tennis visors for a mature look, and she was impressed by your immediate knack for hitting the ball. I am glad you got to have a relationship with Grams and though you probably won’t remember much of it, I want you to know that you brought her so much joy. We’ve got a lot of great photos and videos to look back on and remember her together.
Love,
Dad