Grandpa’s life was full of service to others. He served in the Marine Core, and further served his country through the career to which he dedicated a large chunk of his life.

Through his career and professional interactions, he touched many lives, impacted policy, and did much good in his sphere of influence. Much could also be said about his service to the church and individuals, through the myriad of callings to which he dedicated himself, from Bishop to home teacher and temple patron and everything in between. The lives that he touched through that service are known only to our Father in Heaven, and the impact was and will be felt not only in this life, but throughout the eternities. No mortal could begin to count the good he accomplished professionally and in his religious service, and in all of it he set a wonderful example for those around him, including his posterity.

But I know best about Grandpa’s service to his family. He loved and served as a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather in a way that has changed my life. If his service in the church could not be counted because of its depth and breadth, his service to his family can be counted much less. I loved the way he loved and served Grandma throughout their marriage. The way he loved Grandma, especially at the end of her life, when she was in difficult physical and emotional health, was a wonderful example to me and has had a powerful impact on my marriage. I hope I can someday learn to be as good of a partner.

His work as a devoted father that loved and taught his sons has also colored my life. The way he taught and loved my dad had an impact on him that will ripple through my life and my posterity forever.

Grandpa’s love for me directly has been an anchor in my life for as long as I can remember. Coming to visit him and Grandma in Boise was a highlight of my childhood summers. My love of the outdoors and camping and hiking probably first originated in those backpacking trips we went on. I have done a lot of camping and backpacking in my life since then, and

I first started learning and loving it with him, and I cherish my fond memories of those trips. I am inspired by his example of being active throughout his life—skiing downhill and cross country into his 80s, taking up cycling in his late 80s, playing tennis, golfing, and hiking. I am so inspired by how positive he was. He was slow to speak ill of others. I think of him when I eat m&ms and remember the jar he kept in the basement. I think of his “sodium deficiency” as he used to tease Grandma, when I eat potato chips. I think of him when I see a baseball diamond and remember the Skyhawks games we went to together. Every time I go through Boise, I have floods of memories of visits there to see him, of golfing, of learning to drive a manual transmission (he was the one who first taught me!), of riding horses and mowing the lawn and washing the car and watching fourth of July fireworks from the rim. Grandpa used his interest and talent with woodworking to build many things for his family. I love the beautiful jewelry boxes he made. I can't see a treehouse without remembering the one he built for us in Mississippi. We had untold hours of fun in that tree house, and more than the fun, I remember the love that I felt from him as we played in it.

Finally, I loved seeing the love that he had for his great-grandchildren, and observing his interactions with them, and I loved telling him about their growth and development. I can't wait for them to be old enough for me to tell them about their great-grandpa and the adventures we had together, and his love of his family and the Lord and the gospel, and I'm glad they will have memories of a person they met to go along with those stories. He laid a legacy of love and faith that will bless their lives.