you keep it copasetic

RIP Lari Pellervo K—

My grandfather (dad’s side) passed away on Sunday, and while I never was really close to him, he will be missed.

He was definitely a interesting guy: born in Finland in 1937, he then fled with his mother and brother during WWII to the United States. The story is quite incredible and involves their bus getting bombed and them having to travel miles through the woods to reach their destination.

For most of his life he would make (sometimes yearly) trips to Finland and spend months riding around on a motorcycle around the entire country, visiting relatives, etc. And he would always come back with horrible, broken english.

I most remember him, though, for playing Santa Claus every year. He had the most ridiculous beard and mustache (and the belly to go with it).

It’s sad that he’s gone, but at the same time he was ready to leave, especially since his wife, my nana passed away 6 years ago - he just hasn’t been the same since.

It’s always after the fact that you wish you had asked them to tell you more stories about their life and what they’ve seen and done. I luckily had that opportunity, although there’s always more you wish you could’ve said or asked.

P.S. I love the picture of him from 1956/1957. He was one of the cool guys in his younger years.