Where is Poppa? ask my grandchildren, Adam and Stella, now that my husband and their grandfather, Greg Meier, has passed away. I tell them he isn't gone, he's still with us in our hearts, in our memories, and in the love he gave us.
In the house, I see the chair he sat in, the kitchen where he cooked big dinners, the yard and trees he loved so much. I see the sofa where he liked to lie with his head in my lap and watch British mysteries. I see the bed where he died.
I think of all the driving he did, taking the kids to day camp, to the library, the playground, condo-camping in New Hampshire, Houghton's Pond and the Trailside Museum. Excursions to Ward's Berry Farm, Franklin Park Zoo, the Peabody Essex Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Memories they'll have forever, and will shape the way they bring up their own children.
There were books, lots of books. Greg loved poetry, the serious Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop kind, not the sentimental mushy kind. He always had time to read a story to a grandchild.
He loved the outdoors, loved fishing and golf and spending long summer afternoons at Red River or Earle beach. He loved mowing the lawn and planting gardens, he loved cooking up steak on the Weber grill, charcoal not gas.
He also loved traveling, beginning with the first trip we took together as a married couple bicycling through Nova Scotia. There were trips to Arizona and New York State, to France, Italy, England, Ireland and he even went to China. We saw acqua alta in Venice and sweltered our way through the ruins of Pompei.
Greg was active in the community, stepping up to support the Harwichport Library, serving as an usher and committee member at Christ Church Episcopal in Harwich, and in Braintree helping to revive the Democratic Town Committee. He was a proud Lion, and was named the 2019 Randolph Lions Club's Lion of the Year.
He'd be the first to say he'd had a good life and was especially proud of our 50-year-marriage; our three wonderful children, Matt, Andy and Emily; their amazing spouses Samantha, Amanda and Ari; and the grandkids, Ben, Abby, Calvin, Adam and Stella. He didn't want to leave so soon and underwent grueling cancer treatments even though he knew it was a losing battle. He accepted his final illness with acceptance, grace, and dignity.
He's not gone, he's an example of love in action to us all.
A celebration of his life will be held in the spring. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, Gregory would ask you to vote and make a contribution to actblue.com
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