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Yesterday was a tough day, we said good bye to my grandpa an incredible guy who lived to the awesome age of 95 1/2 (yes I’m adding the 1/2). It’s always bittersweet when a funeral brings a family together but my grandpa was the head of our family, he was iconic, larger than life, and everyone made time to travel to Florida to send Jack off in style. It warmed my heart to see cousins I hadn’t seen in years who now have their own little kids running around and playing with their own cousins just like we all did when we were little. I knew their would be some “classic jack” stories yesterday and it wasn’t just one story it was all of them that were great … people that knew him at different points in his life, a man whom he approved for a home loan for his first home (when he had no job and 2 kids) and then gave him a job for his company, friends of my uncles who would hang out at the Schwencke house (aka “disney world”) and hope they would adopt him someday, and even a few of us grandchildren who told stories of our favorite memories. My cousin Lisa told one of my favorites stories and I’ll tell it again here … my grandpa traveled the world (I’d like to think this is where I get my travel bug and love of adventure) but he always told us when you’re packing for a trip you lay out all of your clothes and all of your money, then you pack 1/2 the clothes and double the money.Words to live bye!
My grandpa is an incredible example of the “work hard, play hard” motto. He started working on wall-street at 15 years old, he worked hard, started his own companies, developed the town I live in, traveled the world, was a grand-life master in bridge (and in the Guiness Book of World Records for that feat), he put his family first and always taught us to stick together and we always made time for family reunions and holidays at grandma & grandpa’s. He was buried with a smile on his face, a deck of cards in the front pocket of his hot pink jacket and blue pants, with a Jack of hearts in his hand that said “the king of broken hearts”, signed lovingly by a friend at the local bridge club. My dad saw it and said “classic Jack” and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Last night a few of my cousins and their kids came over to see my grandpa’s house (where I live), it’s changed a little through the years but the walls and the memories are still the same. It was so much fun to see their kids running around the living room, swimming in the pool, and having as much fun as we used to have growing up. I know my grandpa was looking down on us and smiling, because last night it was all about family. The world lost an incredible man last week, but heaven got one hell of an angel and I know that place will never be the same now that Jack Schwencke’s moved in.
Here are a few of us in our late night fashion show with my grandpa’s famous jacket’s and hats

And for those family and friends reading this blog … since the DVD didn’t work properly here is the photo slideshow that was supposed to be playing yesterday at the funeral …

And if you are interested there was a really good obituary in the local paper, so you can read more about the great Jack Schwencke here!
Thank you to all of our clients who have been so patient and understanding these past few days … we will be getting back to regularly scheduled blogging very soon!

This morning heaven got a little bigger as my grandpa made his way to reunite with my mom, uncle, and grandma. He lived an incredible life full of amazing stories, travel, and memories. Of course the memories I have of my grandpa are ones when I was little. Like the time I colored him a picture and then instead of taping it on the wall I glued it. And to this day every time I walk down the hallway I see it and smile.

I got to see him on Monday and say good bye and today when I heard the news he had passed I said a prayer that he could give my mom a huge hug from me. I know he’s in a better place and he lived an amazing life. I’ll miss him, and often think of the fun stories he would tell about being in Paris and the Champs Elysee, about how when and if I ever make to Hawaii I need to take a helicopter to the top of a volcano. I’ll think of how when I lived with my parents and him for a while I’d come home from work and his first question would always be … how was work? I’ll laugh when I think about memories we had like the time at dinner when my grandpa’s spoon was bent so much that half the soup fell out before he even ate it and he hardly noticed because he was wrapped up in telling all his stories. I can still hear my mom and dad laughing at the table.

For now I’m left with the memories of his legendary stories and life, and pictures … which once again brings me full circle to the love and appreciation that I have for my job. I’ll treasure these pictures and the memory of my grandpa forever. The incredible person he was and will always be in my heart. Miss you always. xoxo