John HartSeptember 19, 1912 - June 5, 2008

How many people can say they've had their grandparents active in their lives for 32 years? Not too many. Just three months shy of his 96th birthday, and one month shy of his 67th wedding anniversary, my Poppop passed away in the hospital from a tired heart. He was admitted early yesterday morning and stayed over night because they wanted to run some more tests to find the cause of the pain he was having.We were all there with him this morning - my grandmother, my parents, my sister and her husband and Shawn and I, even their parish priest (who always traded jokes with my grandfather every week after mass). We all got to hold his hand and kiss his forehead and tell him we loved him, as we watched him struggle with the fear of being in the hospital and yet still joke and flirt with the nurses. My Poppop loved to flirt with the pretty ladies. :)When my sister and I were little, my sister had made my grandfather a card in the shape of a heart. I don't remember what the occasion was - father's day? his birthday? Either way, he took the card and put it in his back pocket. My sister said it was supposed to go near his heart, because that's where hearts go, but my grandfather, always with a mischievous twinkle in his eye told my sister "But I'm Hart all over!" and he truly was. There is not a person he's spoken to or met that hasn't been touched by him in their life.I compared him to a Golden Retriever at work this morning, before I got the call to come to the hospital. He's all-over friendliness, gentleness and love. He loved everyone and would talk to everyone and you could almost see a tail waggling away in happiness when he was near people.I am very sad to see him go, though I do not feel as though life has robbed me of anything. At 95 and 90 my grandparents were still living on their own, though in an apartment rather than the house they sold a few years ago to make things a little easier, and they have been a part of my life almost every day, at least monthly since I was born. We only lived across town from them when I was little and saw them every weekend for Church and dinner and often spent the weekends at their house when my parents would go away. When I moved back to the South Shore last year I made SURE to see them as much as possible because I could and I wanted to have memories of them in my house - and I do.I will always remember his smile and twinkling blue eyes, his jokes and stories. His banjo, fiddle, mandolin playing and tap-dancing when I was a kid. His sneaking into our house by the garage to take my sister and I to breakfast at McDonalds when we were just tiny kidlets.He was the most gentle, kind and loving man anyone could ever have for a grandfather.And he truly is Heart All Over.I love you, Poppop.* the photo above is from November 2007, the most recent one I had of the two of us. I had to tickle him to get him to smile rather than grumble about having his photo taken. :)Here are some more photos that I think really show who my Poppop was (at least ones I have digitally, I have a ton I could scan back in the days where people used real film!)

My wedding reception, July 2005 - dancing with my Aunt Kathy, who passed away last May 25 - almost a year before my Poppop did. I'm sure she's giving him the Grand Tour where ever they might be now.

Having the time of his life at my wedding reception and entertaining the guests as he dances with a chair. Nothing could keep that man from dancing! (Photo: Carissa Byers photography)

I look like crap (so just ignore me) but you can tell my Poppop is up to SOMETHING by the look in his eye - his birthday, September 2005.

Making him smile for the photo on his birthday in 2006.