a moment to honor a good man

My grandfather, Cyrus Jaffee, passed away earlier this week. He was a wonderful man, who always stood in my mind as a man of strength and wisdom.

He also always had a fun side ready for his grandchildren. One of my youngest memories that include Papa has him sitting in his swiveling barrel chair, blowing smoke rings from his deeply scented cigar, my brother and I chasing the rings, pointer fingers outstretched, racing to see who could pop them first.

The little toys my grandparents brought when they arrived for their winter stay in Tucson, absolute treasures to us, now I know they were just trinkets from the toy aisle at a drug store. And the more important gifts, from his beloved explorations at the Pawn Shops back in Toledo. The shops in Tucson never compared. Every few years it was a new Walkman, or some other electronic goodie that was a gem Papa picked up at one of his favorite haunts.

I'm still not sure I can sort enough words out to say any more about him. So for now I just post these pictures. Some day I'll get a scanner and I'll scan them. For now you get digital photos of the ones I could find.

[Official obituary from the Toledo Blade]




Grandma and Papa


Papa and my dad, Mark, probably some time in the late 1950's.


Grandma and Papa with my parents. Not sure what year, but you know it was a while ago because all my dad’s hair is still black!


Grandma and Papa with some of our family. You can tell it was some time in the 80’s because of the rather frightening hairstyles on some of the women in the picture (including me!).