He was awesome. He was a big presence with a large laugh and huge fingers that he'd wave at you. When I was little, he called me Piggie. As I became a mother he called my daughters piggies. He tended to do that with women in our family. He also always wanted to spank our fundi's. That's Italian for butts. He'd hold up his massive hands and say, "Come ovah here, let me put my hand on your fundi" He was wonderful.
A deck of cards never were far from him. He loved to play Solitaire. He always sat at the head of the table, while dinner was being cooked, playing Solitaire. Hell, he even was playing it while I was in labor with my youngest. My youngest was born two days before his 78th birthday. He asked me hang on and try to have her on his birthday. Believe me, I tried...she was ready when she was ready.
He is the one who taught me how to shoot a shot gun. He took us fishing and the boys hunting. He lived for that stuff. He loved to watch football. He loved good food. It was a tradition for me to make him a pound cake every year on his birthday. I started doing that as a young girl. He loved those pound cakes.
My oldest daughter is his namesake. Both his and my grandmother's namesake actually. Jacqueline Rose...named after Jack and Rosemary.
Although I wasn't able to be involved and included in the passing of this great man, I can at least write this : I love you and miss you, Popo.
