This
page is dedicated to the memory of Kirby A. Van de Griek
The
page is still under construction, so please bear with us.
If
you have any pictures, stories, or anything else you'd like to share, please
email it to rememberkirby@vernefrax.com
and it will be posted here.
Thank you all who attended the memorial service on Wednesday, July 10th.
The number of friends and family in attendance was astounding, and most of us weren't aware that Kirby had touched so many lives. For those who were not able to attend but were with us in spirit, thank you.
July 14, 2002
A
few thoughts about Kirby
He
was my son, my friend, and my alterego and the father of my beloved grandson,
Corin, He was also an
extraordinary man.
I
am blessed that I can say that I have no regrets where my relationship with
Kirby is concerned. There is
nothing about it that I would change. We
each knew that we loved each other, and we freely told one another that we
did.
And
there is nothing about Kirby that I would change.
Well, almost nothing. It
would be nice if he could make some of his stories a little shorter. But therein lies some of the beauty of our relationship.
As Pat noted the other day, we could not go out for a meal, even for
pizza or sandwiches, in less than four hours.
What fun!
What
a joy! To enjoy the time that Pat
and I spent with Kirby, Angelica, and Corin the way we did.
We had reached that point in life where we accepted each other, warts
and all, so there was no need to criticize or offer unsolicited advice.
We shared great conversations and great laughter.
Kirby
was, among other things, a very talented artist and artisan.
Unfortunately his art was temporarily on hold. But if you want to know more about it, I’ll bend your ear
for a few hours. All of us and
many of you have knives that he made, some have jewelry that he helped
produce, and a few have jewelry that was the work of his hands alone.
I’ve
tried to pull up memories that I could share with you but it is difficult at
present. But a few stand out.
Watching Kirby spend 10 minutes pealing off the clothes he wore commuting on his beloved ZRX in the middle of the winter.
Feeling
the warmth generated by his tiny body inside a bunting when he was a few days
old on a cold day in January of 1962 and realizing that this was a whole,
complete functioning human being.
Remembering
his words to our friend Jim, when Jim was chastising his son Craig for
throwing a rock somewhat inappropriately, “well Jim, it was his rock.”
But
this week, I have some new memories. Memories
of a tremendous outpouring of love by people who knew and loved Kirby.
I had no comprehension of the number of lives he had touched in so many
loving ways. This outpouring is
the greatest tribute to Kirby’s life that I can think of.
Kirby loved unconditionally. May
we all do the same.
-Al VanDeGriek