With Appreciation For Old Grumpy

It sounds shameful that I allowed my children to refer to our neighbor as Old Grumpy. In my defense, we didn't know his last name. We had always called him "Jayla's Grandpa", but now I know that his name was Mr. Fullerton. Mr. Vando Fullerton, to be precise. He and his wife lived next door to us when we moved to Norman in 2004. They were a retired couple whose two daughters each lived less than a mile away and were always visiting. Their granddaughter Jayla often came over and became one of Abby's best friends. The 'Old Grumpy' moniker came into play when he grew tired of my boys hitting baseballs over the fence that separated our backyards and threatened to keep each and every one that landed in his yard.
Matt and I had shared several conversations with Old Grumpy, often in the evening when he stood in his driveway smoking his last cigarette for the day. He told us stories from his days in the Korean War. He was proud of his service and talked sentimentally about things he'd experienced over there. After the war he returned to Oklahoma and became an architect, designing homes and businesses. He had an astute reputation among builders, we discovered later.
The week before we moved from that house in 2007, his daughter told us that Old Grumpy had just been diagnosed with lung cancer. The kids and I went to his house to say farewell before our move, and there he sat in his recliner with an oxygen tank hooked up. He was chatty as always and told us he would miss us. He went on to say that he and his wife always enjoyed it when our girls played with Jayla on their front porch or in the guest bedroom. He recalled how much fun he'd had the previous Easter when the girls looked for Easter eggs with Jayla so she wouldn't have to do it alone.
Sadly, Mr. Fullerton passed away this past April. I wouldn't have known (since we lost touch with his family when we moved) except that I had an inexplicable urge to check the death notices in the Norman newspaper one day and saw his obituary. Reading about his life made me appreciate his military service, the way he proudly wore his VFW cap every day, and the stories he was eager to share. Thank you, Mr. Vando Fullerton, for serving our country those many years ago. Memorial Day has new meaning to me this year.