Robert E. Penrod
Committal Service and Interment : Tuesday, July 6, 2021, 1:00 p.m. at Mount Emblem Cemetery, Grand Avenue and County Line Road, Elmhurst.
Friends and family can meet at the cemetery office at 12:45 pm and we will process to the grave for the services as a group
When I think of Grandpa, I picture him in our mudroom,
standing tall with his hands in his pockets and humming
some tune of his own creation. His face lights up the moment
he spots me coming to greet him. He takes his hands from his
pockets and points a few finger guns in my direction with a
certain swagger that only he could possess. His arms then
open wide, inviting me in for a long and tight hug. I wrap my
arms around his belly, and my fingers fumble around until
they just meet on his other side. With my face pressed
against his chest, I can smell the coffee he drank earlier that
morning. He gives me a final squeeze that almost lifts my feet
off of the ground before we break apart. This moment is
forever frozen in time, enveloping me in his warmth and love
when I feel grief start to take hold of me.
Grandpa was a man whose love was as big as his stature. He
always made sure that I knew he loved me. He would say it at
the end of every call. He loved all of his grandchildren so
much. I can see his love when I look at photos of him through
the years. Pictures of him holding us in his arms and reading
to us on the couch capture the pure joy and happiness he felt
when he was with his grandchildren. I noticed that in most of
the photos, he’s not even looking at the camera. He’s looking
and smiling at us. Since we were little, he was proud of his
us. As we grew older, he was proud of who we were
becoming. I hope he knew how proud I am to be his
granddaughter.
I will love you forever, Grandpa.