My uncle Ralph passed away this morning. He's the first of my Dad's siblings that I have known well to die. (My uncle Val passed away when I was very young.) So . . . with my current philosophies and lifestyle, I choose to celebrate his life and the memories I have of him, but I'd be a lying son of a gun if I didn't admit that I am rather sad at this moment, More on that later. I don't want this blog to be about me, but rather about Uncle Ralph and what a good guy he was.
Uncle Ralph lived in Tuscon, AZ. I'm pretty sure that his family was the most distant of all the Prices. Still, he seemed to make it up to Carey, ID every Memorial Day to visit the family and Grandpa's grave almost every year. When I was five years old, Dad, Julia, Grandma, Grandpa Elmo and I drove in Grandpa's silver Toyota van down to Arizona to go to Lisa (Ralph's daughter) and Tommy's wedding. I was little, but I remember Uncle Ralph setting up a pinata for all the kids. I remember his house fairly well, and especially the back yard. (because it scared me for some reason)
Some years, after the usual Memorial Day trek though Carey and Pecaboo, all the cousins would end up in Burley at Uncle David's house. Only one person could water ski at a time, but five or six people could be on the water weinie at any given moment. It was the goal of the given Uncle driving the boat towing the big yellow tube to make enough twists and turn, big waves, and speed to violently dump all of the riders into the cold Snake River water. No one, and I repeat no one, knew how to violently dump poor Price kids in the river like Uncle Ralph. There were cousins who would refuse to ride when Uncle Ralph got behind the wheel. :)
It's too bad I didn't get down to see him this last year when I was half living in Phoenix. Tuscon is a pretty short drive from where I spent my off time. Still, I know that my Uncle was a great guy. He deserves to have his life celebrated, just like we all should. He kept kicking until the end, and that's all anyone can do.
3 comments:
Hey Price, I think your uncle would be proud of you and I think you'd still be awfully hard to knock off a water weinie. I don't know how much wandering around people's spirits can do once they've left here, but I'm sure he made a quick round of the Price kids and then left for his next place beaming.
I'm sorry you didn't make it to Tucson last year, I know it was always in the plans. But you did good work in Arizona, anyway, and you were a pretty damn good uncle yourself to a lot of sad kids down there. So that's something.
That trip to AZ was great. I remember thinking how fancy one of the hotels was...it had dishes and everything. I broke one and grandma and I had to go tell the front desk. I was terrified.
I"m sad about Uncle Ralph but glad he didn't have to stick around longer to have his body deteriorate more. I'm sure there was a big party in heaven when he showed up. Not as big as grandma's, but close. I wish I could go to the funeral, but I doubt I can make it down there.
Uncle Ralph will be missed. You're right though...even though he lived far away - they seemed to make it to all our reunions, to the weddings, everything. I wish we could go to the funeral too.
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