Tribute

“Remember, I’m your favorite eldest brother, and you’re my favorite youngest sister”.  No matter if we were face-to-face or speaking on the telephone, these words would be spoken to me, and then would come the Bob smirk that only he could do.  The older we became the more this was a tradition between us.  Yet, no truer words have been spoken!

Being the youngest girl in the family meant that my older brothers were required to look after me.  Regardless if it was Bob, Gary, or Chuck, they all were given the edict to “keep me safe from harm.”  However, with Bob being the eldest it metamorphosed into something more momentous. 

You see…Bob was more than my eldest brother.  He was the pre-teen baby-sitter who forced me to eat foods I didn’t like as a child.  He was the young teenager who gave me free ice cream while working in the summer as a bicycling ice cream vendor.  He was the older teenager who stood for the right, and protected our mother from abuse.  He was the young handsome man in the Army uniform whose leg I clung to as an adolescent because I didn’t want him to leave me.  He was the college guy who wanted to achieve financial success for himself as well as for the future of his family.  He was the young adult who wasn’t going to let his baby sister be unsuccessful in life, and thus encouraged me to pursue educational prowess. He was the man who included me in his family events and gatherings in California.  He was the man who respected me as an adult, and generously shared his wisdom.  In essence, he was my surrogate father, my mentor, my family, and my friend.  And…I knew he loved me unequivocally! 

Bob, you were a true Greenwade patriarch who has left an enduring legacy. You were the total package of what a righteous, God-fearing man should exude. You were the strong, sophisticated, impeccably dressed gentleman who undeniably loved his family.  I cannot fathom not hearing your voice again, nor seeing your face or experiencing your love.  So I’m left to claim God’s promise that someday we will meet again on that Heavenly shore.  Until then, rest in the Lord my beloved “favorite eldest brother”… from your “favorite youngest sister.”