Sep. 13, 2008 - A Tribute to my Grandfather - D-John

It's been a tough week for me so I haven't been able to write any blogs.  My grandfather, D-John(which is short for Daddy John) passed away after a long illness with Alzheimer's.  My grandmother asked for me to be the family spokesperson at the funeral! Wow! What an honor.  My grandfather was an incredible human being - someone I admired dearly.  Here is the eulogy I delivered - If I have a chance I'm going to upload the video that played while we were at the funeral. 

My beloved grandfather, John F. Santrock, was a man of many talents, and his sphere of influence reached far and wide, as can be verified by the number of people here today. How could you not like John Santrock? If he had an enemy, I never knew it. When one reads his obituary, the question to be asked is, "How did he do it?" He has left us a legacy of good works so grand that it is hard to comprehend where he got the energy. Yet he accomplished all this with such gracious humility. 

First he was a war hero.  My grandfather served his country with pride in WWII.  As a kid I vividly remember D-John telling me about the WWII invasion that followed the attack on Normandy beaches just a month after D-Day.  I was absolutely fascinated with the fact that D-John had been shot (9-11-1945), captured by the enemy, marched through the streets of Berlin, and still managed to escape by walking through Russia to safety in Poland. D-John received a Purple Heart for his bravery.  

D-John lived his entire life in Nitro, WV and was a patron of the community.  D-John loved his small town and loved the people of West Virginia.  D-John would often tell stories about his alma mater, Marshall University, talk about the great athletes from WVA, and of taking dad and Shauna to tennis tournaments in Wheeling, WV.  As a life long teacher and educator D-John's students and teachers all benefited from his talent, vision, and caring. He loved to be around people from all walks of life to, teach them, learn from them, and to share his life's experiences. Everyone in town knew my D-John - his kindly manner, genuine caring, and good natured attitude.      

D-John was a man of few words and a wonderful listener.  He never interrupted the flow of a person's thoughts, and when someone was speaking he gave his full  attention. He made everyone he came into contact with feel important, because he gave the sense that he valued the input of even the least person in the world, because he believed in the worth of others, and saw no reason for placing himself above them.  Towards the end he really didn't say much, but when he did say something it was always something of true meaning.  

Most important of all D-John was a devoted family man.  My sister Jennifer and I were lucky enough as kids to spend a lot of quality time with our grandparents. We lived in Texas in the winters and would spend the summers in WVA.   It was like a great vacation for my sister and me.  We always felt at home with Mama Ruth and D-John.  We still do.  

D-John, a man of incredible coordination and gifted athletic talent, he was skilled at golf, bowling, tennis, ping pong, pool, and just about every sport he picked up.   I remember going to the club with D-John and having him play tennis with me day in and day out.  The way he played tennis exemplified his approach to life in general. He was consistent and kept every ball in play. His greatest strength in tennis was his determination to get every ball back no matter how hard it might be to get to it. Once when we were playing I hit a strong shot down the line and was so confident that I had won the point that I raised my arms in a sign of victory. As I did this, the ball came flying back crossed court for a winner.  I'm considered to be a pretty decent player but I never beat D-John.  On another noteworthy occasion D-John visited our family in Texas and we decided to go bowling.  D-John downplayed his success at sports in general and told me that he hadn't played in over 10 years.  At 70 years old D-John beat us all with a score of 180+! Now that's what I call talent!  

D-John was always there for us.  As my sister and I were growing up in Texas D-John devoted time to his family and taking my sister and me to countless tennis tournament's to help us be the best we could be.  In the summertime we played in the Western Open in Ohio and stopped at the Football Hall of Fame.  Each year we played in two big tennis tournaments in Texas - the Texas Sectionals in the Fall and the Houston Coca-Cola Open in the Springtime.  Mama Ruth and D-John came to every match and patiently watched us play - always supportive, encouraging, and confident in our success.  When we were down and out he told us to get back up and keep on trying. It wasn't the end of the world - we would live to play another day.   

D-John also had a love of flowers and gardening.  Each summer I visited I would admire how D-John carefully tended to his beautiful garden.  He patiently explained that the flowers didn't flourish magically, that they required a daily effort of nurturing, watering, and caring for them.  Since I showed interest, and D-John being the consummate educator, he told me all about the Hydrangeas, Chrysanthemums, daylilies, and other varietals.  To this day I remember the things he taught me and use them in my own garden.    

I'm sad that D-John's no longer with us. But I am grateful that he's not suffering any more and I'm especially grateful for all of the years I had with him.  After surviving the war and coming back to the states he lived such a bountiful life.  To be able to see his children flourish, his grandchildren grow up to have families, and even to see his great granddaughter preparing for college.   I believe he was truly blessed. 

So as we commemorate his life, we celebrate the legacy he has left us. His legacy is in his family and his friends. His legacy is the people that he has helped, and in the lives that he has touched. He has left us his legacy as an admired war hero, community servant, athlete, and a family man.  And now this history is in our hands to carry on where he left off.

 May he rest in peace forever.