| Home Page Memorial Service Last Hours Pictures Add a Memory to Dad's Guestbook View Guestbook |
| Memorial Service |
| Eulogy |
| Participants |
| Life With Dad |
| Life with Grandpa |
| Life with Tom |
| Tom's Life |
| 'We'll Be Seeing You' |
| 'Home with us Again' |
| 'Coming to the Edge' |
| Zippity Hoop! |
|
LIFE
WITH GRANDPA For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Alison and I had the honor of calling Tom Fulton, Sr. my grandpa. My grandpa was a great man, and although my words today will never do him justice, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite things about him with you. First, I will remember my grandpa as someone that I loved to talk with. He was a great storyteller and could relate to anyone of any age. It seemed that no matter what he was saying, he knew the best way to say it so that I would enjoy and understand it. He was also a great listener. Even though his stories were a lot more interesting than what I had to share, he always took a genuine interest in what was going on with me. He loved talking to anyone and everyone because he truly valued the presence of other people. Anytime we went somewhere, he would greet people he didn’t even know with a sincere hello and his big, bright smile. He was so good at making people feel special and that what they had to say was the most important thing he was going to hear that day. He was always a great person to talk with, and I will miss my conversations with him. The thing that I will remember most of all about my grandpa is that he was someone who loved living life. He appreciated everyday he had more than anyone that I know. My particular favorite was how every morning at the Cedars he would ask me where I was at 7 o’clock in the morning when he was up enjoying what he considered the best part of the day. I, of course, was sleeping like most kids on summer vacation, but he knew how precious time was and always took advantage of the time he had. He was grateful for things that most of us take for granted—he appreciated a beautiful day; he treasured his moments with his family and friends; he loved to learn new things and experience all the world had to offer him. As much as he loved being a part of this world, I think we were the lucky ones to have him here. His presence alone was enough to bring a smile to someone’s face—as I’m sure many of you know. And while I know he would have loved to stay here longer, I know he is up in heaven bringing a smile to everyone’s face there. Susan Taylor When I think of grandpa, I first remember the countless memories we shared together. Reading Dr. Seuss with him as a kid, our trips to Canada, playing him in cribbage and then gloating when he was forced to buy me a crunchie bar, hearing him yell at us from the dock to wake up and enjoy the beautiful day because we slept in too late, hearing him snore when we snuck into the cottage at night, going fishing and not catching anything, wanting him to take us tubing because Uncle Alan was too scary of a driver, listening to his stories about college, the war and the rest of his life, talking with him when he visited me in lower school, middle school, high school, and college. There are so many memories that I know I share because he is my grandpa, part of my family, my mom’s dad, and someone I have known and loved all my life. However,
I miss him the most when I remember him just for the person he was. It’s
easy to love your family members just because they’re family, but
my grandpa was such an incredible person that I consider myself lucky
to even know him. It makes me saddest to think that I won’t get
the chance to learn from someone so incredible. Someone so knowledgeable,
wise, kind and loving as my grandpa. He’s not just a family member,
but also a unique and amazing person. And this is proven over and over
to me by how highly everyone talks about him and by how much everyone
loves him. Sarah
Wegener Katie Wegener In the time that I was fortunate enough to know my Grandpa, I learned more from him than any other person I have ever met. Besides teaching me how to hook a worm (me wearing gloves of course) or how to play cribbage (in which he usually came out of the game with another candy bar to his name) or how to just suck it up and jump in that freezing cold lake on a cold June morning, he also taught me what it is to be a truly good person, and he did this by example. Because that is what my Grandpa was. He was a good person. He always knew what to say to someone, how to handle a situation, how to make someone happy. But my Grandpa never tried to do any of these things. He just did them instinctively because that is who he was. You couldn’t help smiling when he was in a room with you or when he gave you that big hug goodbye. Whether he was at my house for dinner or in the ICU, he always smiled at me and tried to hug me when he saw me. No matter what the situation he was faced with, he was always positive. My Grandpa is my role model. He taught me the biggest life lesson there is… how to be a good person. Before he died, I was able to tell him that he was, and always has been, my role model. When I told him, he raised his eyebrows, looked at me, and mouthed the words “I love you.” I have never in my life felt so much love in those words than when he said them to me. Only 17 short years I knew that sweet smile, that outgoing personality, that amazing person. But I feel so lucky for every minute that I got to spend with my grandpa, and all of the irreplaceable memories that I have with him. Grandpa, you truly are my role model. You were so brave
throughout everything. I
love you Gramps.
|