Tuesday, August 11, 2009

happy happy joy joy


Lately a lot of my family members have been adding me on Facebook, which is weird, but I came across this picture on my aunt's and fell in love with it. This is my Grandpa O'Neil and this face is strangely everything that embodies him. He is one of the most stubborn and crank old man you will ever meet, but he is also hilarious and happy and lovely. I respect Grandpa more than almost any person I have ever met. He has never done anything in which he didn't go above and beyond the call of duty to produce something special. In his prime, he was a leading developer of biological warfare for the army and he worked alongside Jonas Salk to help develop the vaccine for polio, he had five children, and he was married to one of the most beautiful women to ever live, Betty Maloney O'Neil. (The most Irish name ever, no?) They were together for almost 52 years when she passed away 10 years ago, which is a feat in itself. The thing that makes that story even greater is that he never lets you forget that they would still be together today were she still with us, celebrating 62 happy years of marriage. Grandpa always has a twinkle in his eye, and while the spring in his step may be gone, the will to bring it back is always there. He is a great man and I hope to have many more years with him. I love you, Grandpa.

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