Lawrence James Johnson

One year ago, my grandfather passed away. I gave the eulogy at his funeral. It was difficult, but it was also wonderful to share with my family the grandfather I knew and will remember. This is basically what I said:

Lawrence James Johnson was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1927. He was raised by a single mom. In 1944, he joined the Navy. He served on the USS Don O. Woods in the South Pacific during WWII, where he always told us he spent his time peeling potatoes.
He married the love of his life, Betty, in 1947. They shared 57 years together before she passed away in 2004. Jimmy and Betty raised their family in Seaford, DE for 26 before his job at DuPont took them to Athens, GA. He retired after 35 years.
We are here to celebrate this life of Lawrence James Johnson. He went by many names---Jimmy, Larry, Dad, Pop, Granddaddy, and Friend. He always said you could call him anything, just don't call him late for dinner! I called him Granddaddy.
If this were a movie, I would cue the flashback scene here. I love my Grandfather with all my hear, but has been a very different person these last 10 years than the person I remember growing up. I wanted to take the opportunity today to remember the loving, always funny, smiling, storytelling grandfather that helped raise me.
Granddaddy had three great loves in his life---Family, Travel and Sports.
He was raised by a single mom at a time that being a single mom was unheard of. Since he did not have a father figure growing up, it was his mission to be the best dad ever. He was a very active parent and grandparent. Grandmom always referred to him as her fifth child. He loved to sing, and I remember always singing with him, many of the songs I sing to my son now. He loved to play. You could always find him on the floor playing with kids...laughing, tickling, wrestling. When I was too old to play on the floor anymore, I would site in the chair next to Granddaddy while the TV was on. I was usually reading or doing a word puzzle book. Every so often Granddaddy would flick my book or tap my pen, just like a younger brother would. He was always a kid at heart. He taught me how to swim, how to drive a stick shift, how to dance, and he always kissed me goodnight.
I imagine he fell in love with my Grandmother at first sight, but she made him wait while she was courted by other suitors. She always told me to date lots of boys before settling down! Their first date was to get an ice cream cone.
They went through so many hardships...WWII, a loss of parents, tuberculosis, raising four children, knee replacement surgery, a cross country move...it's beautiful the life and legacy they created. What an amazing example of love and dedication we have.
Granddaddy loved travelling, history, and maps. You could never go wrong giving him some type of map as a present. He always had various maps and atlases sitting beside his chair. As a girl I loved pulling them out, laying them open on the floor and looking at them. Growing up in Delaware, he took my mom and her siblings on traveling adventures practically every weekend. No site was off limits--beaches, historical markers, battlefields, mountains, National Parks...Granddaddy believed in experiencing it all. He taught me how to read a map, constantly quizzed me on my state capitals, and gave me a love for history (and travel).
I had the pleasure of travelling a lot with my grandparents. Canada, The Grand Canyon, Charleston, SC, Juarez, Mexico, Key West, FL, Albuquerque, NM, all over Georgia, just to name a few places...I owned the backseat while Granddaddy did most of the driving. Grandmon read, took notes about the trip and manned the radio...unless Granddaddy and I were singing songs or we all were playing I Spy or magnetic travel board games.
I would be remiss in omitting Granddaddy's love of sports. A Philadelphia boy at hear, he quickly embraced all the Georgia teams, but still rooted for the Phillies when they played the Braves. He was an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan. Growing up, I was always decked out in red and black. My grandparents had season tickets to all the Georgia football games, tailgated with friends, and proudly advertised their status as "Gator Haters." Whenever they traveled, Granddaddy proudly displayed his favorite hats in the rear window of their car for all to see. We always made a trip up to the University when I was in town to visit Herschell Walker's Heisman trophy and all the other University sites.
I was very close to my grandparents and was blessed to spend the summers with them growing up. I cherish the memories I have from those summers. As part of my bedtime routine, I would always kiss my grandparents goodnight. I would stand by the television and run across the room to jump in my Granddaddy's lap. When I was too big to actually jump, I would still get a running start and then just pretend to jump. I always wanted Granddaddy to put me to bed because he would stay in my room as long as I procrastinated going to sleep. I also loved when he would wake me up in the morning. He would come into my room singing and slowly open the curtains. "Oh how I hate to get up in the morning. Oh how I'd love to stay in bed. But the worst thing of all is to hear the bugler call. You gotta get up, you gotta get up, you gotta get up this morning."
My Grandfather was devoted to my grandmother. He took care of her, and he really was lost without her. He taught her how to drive. They square-danced together. He joined organizations so she could be a part of the auxiliary. Every night they went to bed, he kissed her goodnight and gave her a love pat on the bottom. He always answered the phone when it rang. "Hello. Hi Granddaddy! Hey Little Girl!" I will never forget how his voice changed when he realized I was on the other line...and he always called me Little Girl no matter how old I was.
Grandmom usually ended up being the Secretary of any organization she joined, and she was an avid reader. But Granddaddy was the writer of the family. He penned long letters to family and friends. He filled legal pads full of letters about their travels, the weather, his children, and later his grandchildren. I didn't think about it until now, but I suppose I get my gift of writing and communication from him. I think we can all thank him for that.
How do you summarize someone's life into a few pages of memories? I hope I have been able to give you a glimpse of the man I knew...the man who helped shape me into the person I am today. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather who always had a new fun joke for me when I called.
Many years ago, Granddaddy gave me his childhood hymnal with the stipulation that I make sure a song was played at his funeral.