My grandfather was so much more than what he appeared.

He smuggled guns for the Dutch resistance as a teenager. When he was caught by the Germans he went to a work camp. He and a friend escaped but were turned in by someone they trusted. Like thousands of others, my grandfather was sentenced to become disposable slave labour for the Nazis.  At the end of the war, he walked home to Holland, crossing what would become the Iron Curtain as it was being built. Details are scarce. He didn't often share this time of his life.

He was a wonderfully resourceful man. My grandfather brought his family from Holland to Canada and then lied his way into a job. With the help of coworkers he learned to be an auto mechanic on the job. Eventually he established himself in his true profession as a dental mechanic, and built his own sucessful practice.

When I was a child, he built his own yacht, and sank it on the maiden voyage. He took that wood and built furniture. He never gave up, never stopped working, and never admitted defeat. He was a craftsman.

He was a lover of music and sang Babershop harmony and most recently in a mens chorus pictured here. He collected records and then turned them into CDs that he would play loudly on his gigantic home-made speakers. Those speakers stand 6 feet tall and produce the richest sound. I think they are ugly, but they were made with care and pride for the best results.  I remember him always singing, humming or whistling. He was a musician.

One day when he knew nobody was listening, he shared with me the secret of forgiveness. It was a rare moment where he exposed himself and parts of his past kept shrouded in silence. I treasure that moment.  May I someday truly learn what he was trying to teach me.  He beat cancer with clean living and a firm determination to  survive. He was a silent philosopher.

Friday night, my grandfather died. The only fatality in a car accident. His internal injuries were too great to overcome and his heart stopped beating. He never had to stop doing the things he loved, and for this I am grateful. I look at all the things my grandfather had done in his life, and know that he was more than just great, he was a hero.

Edited May 26- dvp