A post about my Grandfather

I want to reflect on my maternal Grandfather Roland Van Der Beck (Van) who his Grandchildren called Poppy.  He was and continues to be the defining male role model in my life and I miss him terribly.

He was a ceramic scientist and worked for many years an was an executive at Folder and GE.  He invented a viewing glass for a thermal reactor which upgraded the existing viewer to be the seize of nickel up to nearly 10 inches in diameter. 

He continued his knack for invention into his retirement years.  I remember he had a reading light that he used which bothered his eyes so he taped a piece of paper up to modify it to suite his vision better.  He was always doing little modifications to things to make the thing suite him best.   I watched this and learned from him and do my best to implement that mentality of making my things and environment work for me.

I like how he would do something nice and then point it out to everyone by saying "Isn't it nice of me to do that thing for you?"  We would of course have to than say thank you.

He purchased a house on a Conscious Lake for his sake as well as his friends and family, being on the side of lake there was a significant incline between where the kitchen was and the deck where all the family gatherings happened.  His solution was to design and build a dumb waiter from the second floor to the deck which would transport everything.  He drew up the blue prints which he showed me during the process, went out and bought all the materials including pullies, cables, springs and a 2 by 3 foot laminated white board to transport food and beverages in both directions.  He was also so cleaver that he would bring it up constantly and bring everyone attention to his handy work.  Some would say it was self aggrandizing others like myself would say it was the artist in him trying to get other people to pay attention to the beauty this world has to offer, it just so happened that it was something he had created.

He was the first persons I knew to have a video game system.  An Atari 2600 which we would play together in his house in Lansdale, PA.  I vividly remember him sitting with me watching Looney Toons and the two of us laughing historically.

He taught me how to fish along with my own Father and he even built his own fly fishing lures.  He also told me repeatedly to ease up on my Father when I would be hard on him because as he correctly pointed out he is the only Father I will ever get.

He would tell me again and again how he had his own religion which gave me permission to be myself and also helped me find the importance of developing of code of conduct to  gain self mastery. I of course have my own religion which is following Jesus Christ by being a member of the Eastern Orthodox church, but I still have my own code of conduct.  I guess that is what he meant when he said "I have my own religion" I wish I could go back and ask him more questions but I'm thankful for all the time he talked with me.

He married my Grandmother (Nana) Beatrice Coffin after he was done with the army and they stayed together until she passed away from ovarian cancer.  His family said to him "Look at the little girl Roland brought home."  Nana is who I inherited my red hair from.

He kept telling me when his wife was terminally ill that he would not be able to go on without her.  I always told him you must go on, I need you to go on.  He thrived after she passed and eventually fell in love again to a woman who died before him of Lou Gericks disease.  He told me how they started dating.  They were friends in and on the elevator, he said to her "come over here I am going to kiss you now" and she did and they did.  They had a wonderful relationship.  When his girl friend lost the ability to speak and moved to a different building Poppy would call her every day and sing to her.

He was a pioneer in my life when it came to computer's and he would ask me complex questions about how to do things, he would take notes when I taught him.  He taught himself how to use a computer and I helped him.  He also taught me here the importance of taking notes.

He was a dedicated investor and very much enjoyed learning and investing.  He brought me a few times to his investment group.

I truly miss him and felt inspired to write this piece and a very important man in my life.