Stanley Morris Latimer

Stanley Latimer. Grandpa Stan. Stan the Man. The kind of man who could fix anything. With anything. Who would do anything for you; your friends, your friend’s friends and their neighbors. Your airport ride day or night; mow your lawn; build your deck, fix your car. Need help moving? He was there. Always there. For everyone. This is how he loved us; and it was quietly constant and generous beyond measure. As was he.

And did I mention clean? Like clean the kitchen floor on his hands and knees with a paper towel and vacuum the back deck.

Grandpa’s life spanned a scope experience of the world of that I wonder at. This is a man who rode a horse to school along with all of his siblings. He served his country in the navy and went on to travel the world. Honolulu, Paris, London, Curacao. He saw it all. He was a talented engineer where he was awarded for his work with Nasa and held multiple patents for his innovations. He provided his family with a life and love that is uncommon. And his Penny. He held her hand for more than 70 years and never let go.

Stan and Penny’s home was a place of everyday togetherness. Bacon and eggs. Homemade sherry cakes and pizzelles (pronounced pit-zeles), Coca-Cola baked hams and chile rellenos. The kind of place where you could celebrate your triumphs with champagne and a mariachi band and find comfort with grandpa’s root beer floats or cuties that grandma had carefully peeled for you hours before. Where Christmas was spent with family on the floor playing Chinese checkers, a fire burning and the game on and Sinatra in the background. New Year’s celebrations with rooms full of friends and laughter and black-eyed peas. All of us will miss these precious times. There is so much we will miss. Family trips to the city to see The Nutcracker and Irish coffee at the BV. Thanksgivings in Napa, holidays in Hawaii and trips to Palm Desert. And how he loved to eat out. The Fish Market, El Burro, Taiwan, Steamers, La Foret, Bouchon, Bridges, penny wine at Mamma Mia. Stan gave us so many memories. So much love. He was a gift. A once in a lifetime man of such integrity and loyalty that you cannot help but be shaped by it. I don’t think we can readily contemplate how much we will miss him and grandma and the home they gave us all. For us they were home. Not just Stan and Penny Latimer but a sense of place. For now we can say thank you. Thank you for all you were and all you gave us and for your overwhelming love. Thank you, Stan. We love you dearly and miss you beyond words.