4/4/2023 Saying goodbye to Grandpa Bob

 Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

We had a snow storm over night, the second storm in as many days. 

 It was beautiful.

We had had a family meeting the week earlier, because two of the four siblings that take care of Bob and Mary,  Dean and Chris, were going to be out of town. 

 Bob and Scott are ones that could fill in, but they were also going to be out of town that week.  We were trying to figure out schedules, and deciding if now was the time to use the respite care that hospice provides.  As a family, they decided to cover all the shifts, and not use respite as it may be too upsetting for Mary.  Dean would come home in time of Friday to cover Friday and Saturday shifts.

I had loaned my car to Caitlyn to drive to her home in Central, and Dean drove down to Central to help Caitlyn with her house on Monday, April 3.  So I was in SLC without a car until Friday when Dean had planned to come home.  No problem, I had loaded up on food, and was prepared to get a ton of projects done at home.  I really didn't need to go anywhere I couldn't get to by walking.

Tuesday morning we got a text from Nancy telling all of us Grandpa's oxygen had dropped to 58, and he was struggling with each breath.  After a few minutes, at 7:22 am, Nancy let us know that he had stopped breathing.

After calling and talking to Dean, I called Braden to see if he could give me a ride up to Bob and Mary's.

Braden and I got to Bob and Mary's to find Nancy, Laura and Brian, and Amy up there.  Shortly after we arrived Medardo arrived.

Braden and I were able to talk to Shannon, the Hospice nurse, as she was leaving.

Braden called Larkin Mortuary to make arrangements for Bob's body to be "received".

I was very impressed with the men from Larkin Mortuary.  Because of the storm, it took them a while to get there.  When they arrived, they were both wearing ties.   They came in and talked to us, and told us exactly what they were going to do. We were given a few minutes to say goodbye.

Nancy brought Mary in, one more time, then Nancy took Mary into the kitchen while the men so gently and respectively took care of Bob's body.

 They told us they would bring the body out into the living room where we would have as much time as we needed to say goodbye.  Then when we were ready, they would take him out to their vehicle in the driveway.  I went in the bedroom to take pictures for Dean to see how things went that morning.  I didn't hear the men speak to each while they were in Bob and Mary's bedroom.  They were super respectful and reverent as they removed him from his bed.

When we went back in the bedroom they had left this rose and sweet note on his pillow.