Blair Rich Egli

On July 13, 2012 my (maternal) grandfather, Blair Rich Egli, passed away. (Picture taken in 2007)

He was one week past his 87th birthday. He was a man among men- a true stand out and gentleman. And not because he was flashy or forward but rather for his quiet consistency in life.

He was the EPITOME of patience. His ability to wait for my grandmother and go with the flow was nearly saint like. He used to joke that he spent most of his life waiting for my grandmother. But he wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

If you were to uncover all the facts of his life, you'd see he was a man of great prestige and great respect. A gunner in the air force in WWII, a career in banking in the highest offices of Bank of America, an involved member of his community. But he was so humble and calm about it. There was never any fanfare for his accomplishments. He just did them and did them well, no big fuss.

 

He was a great example to me of what it means to be measured and consistent. He was never extreme in any way, just always plugging along and moving forward. You could count on him.

 

He loved to play tennis. And he taught me how to play tennis. I remember being a young teenage and staying a few days up at my grandparents house and spending all day on the courts as my grandpa taught me to play. He loved plain hot dogs. And he loved to put ketchup on many things. He told me once it was a leftover habit from his days in the service- there was nothing to season the mess hall food with except ketchup, so he dumped it on everything :) He also liked his toast slightly burned.

 

He was truly truly generous. Because of he and my grandmother, many grandchildren have been assisted with college and missions and such. They told me once that they weren't the retired types who wanted to go on vacations and cruises. They got more joy out of passing help along to those they loved and seeing them succeed.

 

He could do a great Donald/Daffy duck impression. Any time we were standing for one of grandma's many pictures, he was always behind her making voices and trying to get us to laugh. And he knew how to cup his hands and blow through to make it sound like a whistle or a bird chirping.

 

When I was young and my grandparents would come to visit, he would always bring us Kentucky Friend Chicken for dinner. Eating and smelling fried chicken always makes me think of their visits.

 

He loved to watch sports- basketball and football being the favorites. And he kept up with everything even as he got older. I loved that when Warren and I would go to visit, he and Warren would sit and talk sports stats for hours (to keep up with Warren is no small feat).

 

He was the person who sealed Warren and I together in the temple. It was special enough to get married, but to have the added touch of my grandpa being the one performing the ceremony made it even more so. And I can remember how nervous he was and he kept pronouncing Warren's last name incorrectly. As a bit of advice he told us to always remember to say "please" and "thank you" to each other. I was one of only two grandchildren he was able to marry.

 

His laugh was something that warmed my heart. It was something of a "oh-hoo-hoo-hoo". And even though he smiled regularly, I always loved when I was able to make him laugh or share a secret little smile together because something silly was happening or Grandma was being Grandma.

 

The end of his life was difficult for him in that he hated being physically limited and those last few months he was limited in how much he could do without getting exhausted. He passed fairly peacefully in hospice (having never been in a facility except for the last 2 weeks of his life) and my mother actually was the one in the room with him when it happened. He died of complications from old age.

 

While it's sometimes sad to think that my children won't get to know him in the same way I got to know him, I am grateful for the opportunity he now has to be freed from his aging body. That he now has the opportunity to be with the mother he never knew-his mother died when he was a young child (age 3, I think).

 

I know I will see him again. And I know that he is looking down on our family. More than anything, I hope that I can make him proud. I hope that I can carry on the legacy that he created and be more like him- a patient, generous and kind, consistent force for good. When I teach my children about these values, I hope that I will always remember to tell them how I learned them. From my wonderful grandfather, Blair Rich Egli.

(August 2011- this was the last time I saw him in person. I kissed him and hugged him, told him what he meant to me, and when I left I knew it could be the last time I saw him. But it was ok, because I knew he knew of my love for him.)

 

As I was looking through picture I have of my grandpa, I came across this one. His expression to me is perfect. This was his true genuine smile- the smile that lit up his face. And was often followed by a laugh.

 

Funeral of Blair Rich Egli