If you could "hang out" with one family member of yours who has passed away....Who would it be?

My grandmother. She died unexpectedly at 52 years of age. Aside from just wishing I’d been able to say goodbye, there was so much I wanted to ask her, and learn from her.

Interesting question and tough decision. I would like to meet my paternal grandfather who dies when I was an infant. My father died quite young, and I would like the chance to ask him some questions now. I would also like to see or observe my maternal great grandmother (not sure I want to meet her) because of the reports of her I have heard that I think shaped my mother’s personality and behavior. Finally, I would not mind one more visit with my sister who died in 2005.

the person i was named after: levy katz. my middle name is lev after him. he was my grandmothers father, and i remember him very slightly, but i only have one image of him in my head, which is of him on the porch of my grandmothers house laughing. i must have been 1–2 at the time of the memory because he died in a corresponding year that my sister remembers (i cant do the math, im just that lazy). but at least that memeory is a memeory of him laughing and having fun.

my grandpa. I loved him so much. We had a very close ralationship. I’d spend my week having fun with him.

My Aunt Carol.

She was my dad’s slightly older sister, and they were very close. They were both hippies in the late 60s.

Aunt Carol was quite a character. She always did her own thing. And she always paid attention to what people said and liked. When I was a kid, I got generic presents from most of the family, but she always gave me something that was specifically relevant to my interests.

She died at the age of only 44 when I was nine years old. I really wish I would have had the opportunity to hang out with her as an adult.

My grandpa…the greatest man I have ever known…I am 26 now and can remember all the great things my brothers and I did with him. I got news of his death while in 4th grade class…he was only 57. I can remember so much about him and hope there is a heaven.

My maternal grandmother died when I was nine years old and she was my favorite person in the world. Nobody else has even come close to that for me since then. I always feel like a lot of my problems wouldn’t be problems if I still had her around. So I’d love to have some time to get her thoughts and advice and encouragement again.

Or maybe my paternal grandfather. He died before I was born but everyone says I’m so much like him and that we would’ve gotten along so well. It’d be cool to find out.

Or Grover Cleveland. That’d be neat.

My grandmother, who died five years ago yesterday. I grew up with her living next door. My daughter was born on her birthday. I miss her so much. She was the best, sweetest, kindest and honest soul I have ever known. She helped to raise me. My husband says a lot of the things he loves about me, he can see were instilled in me by her. I would love to see her again . As a Christian, I believe I will again one day.

My mom.

my great-aunt gertrude. she was a fun old lady. she would invite my sister and my cousins over for sleepovers, and wake us up with the smell of her bluberry teddybear pancakes. and she always had some new craft or activity to teach us. she passed away when i was about 7 years old, gosh, i miss her.

My father.

my grandpa

My paternal grandfather. Pa-paw was a very quite man (perhaps because my grandmother is very unquiet). He worked at a furniture factory for 67 years (every time he tried to retire, they convinced him to come back). He would go into work at 4am and then come home and work in his 4 acre garden until dark. He was one of those people who could build anything and grow anything. As a kid, I would hang out or help with the garden and we would work together for hours without saying anything. But when he did say something, it was invariably funny and smart.

He died of Alzheimers. That cruel disease allowed him an awareness of something being wrong, of a loss of mental acuity. He raged against that loss, until even that was taken away from him.

My brother.

I was fortunate that I knew all four of my grandparents although my paternal grandfather died when I was six. I still remember him pretty well.

But my hobby has been family genealogy and there are several great-grandparents I would love to visit with. One set of great-grandparents were the first in their family to leave Riga, Russia (at the time) for Glasgow and ultimately for New York City. They managed to save money to bring 5 of my great grandfather’s siblings to Glasgow and to New York also. That great-grandfather was a real hustler and money maker and shrewd businessman.

The other interesting ancestor would be the father of that great-grandfather, named Judel-Mendel Morgan who fathered 22 children, the last at the age of 62, but he died just after the last little one was born.

SRM

My mom. I’d want to tell her how cool her granddaughter (my daughter) is and how proud I am of her. And I’d tell her how much my daughter reminds me of her. And how much I miss her, still.

lurve for everyone :-)

Except SuperMouse and Cardinal?!

Thanks….it was an oversight as I gave my lurve very late at night…lurve for you too girlofscience :-)

What a thought-provoking question (GQ for you, @googlybear).

I would choose my father. I was his eldest daughter, and he died when I was pregnant with my first child and his first grandson. I understand so much about parenthood, families, myself, and just life now that I didn’t know then, and I think there were ways in which I judged him too harshly. I would like to have a chance to meet him now as an adult with many more shared experiences between us and see him more as the good, kind, intelligent, and loving human being he was, less filtered through the unforgiving eyes of a young person who wants and expects impossible things.

My uncle, who I never met, was brutally murdered, set up by his wife. I’d wanna hang with him, show him his kids, and ask him what really happened…

An ex brother-in-law who was also a great friend to all.