GRANDPA CRAZY

Ray Vernon Zobrist
September 27, 1927 - October 13, 2010

I have wanted to write about about my grandfather for a few weeks but just couldn't get myself to do so. After reading all of my cousins blogs I wasn't sure how I wanted to write my feeling down, but then I came across my cousin Tifani's blog and I just loved how she paid tribute to my grandfather. So I stole a lot of this from her because she can write so much nicer than I ever could. I'm going to start by saying Ray "Wild Man" Zobrist, was one of a kind. You are not a Zobrist unless you have a "nick name". I'm not sure if it was my Grandpa or my uncles who decided each member of the family needed a nick name but I am pretty sure we each have one. Mine would be "B". All 3 of my uncles still call me "B" and to tell you the truth, I love it. Grandpa was the head of our Zobrist clan, he taught us nothing is more important than family. He was my example of how to live life, and do it well. As my Dad said at the funeral, Ray Zobrist lived life large in 30 minute increments. He came to Sunday dinner each week and showed up in time to sit and eat, stayed until desert was served and then was off to my uncles for more desert. Each week my mom told him to sit and relax for a few minutes. I don't think my grandpa truly knew what the words sit and relax meant. We will miss him dearly, but nothing can be more reassuring than knowing he has been reunited with my grandmother after 12 years apart.

It seems odd she has been gone so long, but luckily they were sealed together forever so the rest of us can be too.

I thought in order to pay proper tribute, I would share some of my favorite memories.
Each and every time I saw my grandpa, he would say "You get prettier every time I see you. You look more and more like your mother every day." Even though I knew he said this to each of my female cousins (to the boys he said "You get uglier every time I see you. You know you are to ugly to whip anyone."), my grandpa made me feel pretty.

Another of his favorite sayings was "It's tough to be poor and have to work for a living." It is funny because my Grandpa was so far from poor. We all knew he went to his office to take a nap and go to lunch with his brother. I truly believe that not one day of my whole life did he ever "work" at his office. As a little girl I loved to go to visit grandpa at work because he always had full size candy bars under his desk for us and change in his pocket for the soda machine. I have so many memories of walking into my grandpa's office and watching him play cards with his brothers.

My grandpa loved food. Two of his favorite places, Weinerschnitzel and Wendy's. Another reason I loved to visit grandpa at work was because he always took us to get a hot dog. The man worked on Valley View and Spring Mountain, there were a hundred different fast food places, but yet we went for a hot dog each time we went to lunch. It wasn't to long ago my husband and cousin went to visit Grandpa at work. When my husband called to tell me he went to lunch with grandpa I said let me guess, "Weinerschnitzel". Sure enough I was right. When you sat next to grandpa, it was pretty certain he would be taking a bite of whatever you were eating. But, he also shared. Every Sunday  we knew we could not leave the food on the table until it was time to eat because grandpa had to try everything. He never just tried a little either. I'm pretty sure he had a whole meal while the rest of us waited for the rest of the food to be finished and the prayer.

This summer we spent almost everyday at Grandpa's swimming. Each day he sat on the back porch. I'm not sure how much he was able to see or even how much he heard but I could tell he was in heaven to have us there.

Grandpa had a mustang that we all loved. He loved this mustang as much as all of us grand kids. Not very many people were aloud to ride in the Mustang let alone drive it. While I was away at college I received a phone call from my husband. He had to call and tell me that Grandpa let him drive the mustang down to Wendy's. This was huge!!! I'm not really sure why but Grandpa loved Jordan. I think it may be because they have the same smartalic comments for a lot of things.
One of the things I admire the most about my grandpa was the fact that he had the same best friend his entire life. Dr. Al Noorda and my grandpa have been best friends since the 2nd grade. They went to school together, they served in the army together, they went to college together, and even served missions to Holland together (I still maintain my grandpa rigged this somehow. I mean, what are the chances?). They raised their families together, retired together, and were best friends until the day my grandpa died. I think this says a lot about these two men. You don't have that kind of friendship without making an effort.

I know nothing in this world mattered more to my grandpa than family. My grandpa loved his wife, loved his 7 children, loved his 34 grandchildren, and truly loved his 39 great grandchildren. He loved the little ones. Everything he did was for family. I am proud to be his granddaughter, proud to be a Zobrist, and hope I can lead a life that will make him proud.

This is my favorit picture of my grandparents. This picture was taken in Switzerland. It is the way I picture my grandparents when I think of them.