Sunday, September 05, 2010

Snappy September - Day Five - Grandpa

Jack Herbert Read passed away in 2006 at ninety two years old and I'm a little sad to say that the last photo I have of him and I together is this one below, where I've just come back from a run to the bluff and back and am still glowing redder than my t-shirt:















He was the most generous, intelligent, funny, kind and inspirational man I have ever known and I still miss him.

I'm glad that Sapphire got to know him for a tiny while before he died and she has clear memories of us visiting him in his original house in Norwood and later at Kirribilli (no, not the Prime Minister's house but an Aged Care facility in Victor Harbor) and having some lovely discussions together.

The photo below was taken when she was four during our stay at my parents' place over the Christmas holidays. Neither of them were aware that their little reading session had been photographed, which is probably why it is will forever be one of my favourites.












9 comments:

Baino said...

Aww the reading photo is lovely. I find the candid ones always are. She's a lucky kid to have had a great grandpa!

Kath Lockett said...

Yeah, she is and I'm just as impressed that she realises that herself.

Yesterday she was road-testing my Mum's famous cupcakes because Sapph wants to have a tea party with her friends next weekend.

My father said to her on the phone, "Now Grandma's emailed you the recipe, but she's calling out that her friends have always had trouble with it, so don't despair if they don't turn out the way you want to the first time."

Barely a pause before Sapph said, "Yeah but Grandma's friends are OLD."

River said...

That's a sweet photo Kath, and lovely memories of your grandpa.

Plastic Mancunian said...

G'Day Kath,

Great photos. Wow - 92? What a great life.

:0)

Cheers

PM

vanessa said...

Oh, what lovely memories, and a sweet photo.
How did the cupcakes go? I am having a tea party for my birthday too - such a cool idea.

JamieDedes said...

Touching. I love both photos. You were blessed to have him so long.

Thanks for sharing this.

nuttynoton said...

great photo and yes you were blessed, my daughters never really met my mum and I regret that so much she was only 70 when she died

deepkickgirl said...

A very special photo of Sapphire and her great grandad. Beautiful. Not many children get to experience great grandparents. I guess mostly they don't appreciate the significance of it until they are adults.

R.H. said...

Quite a resemblance between you and grandpa.