My grandfather Jack Wich, was like no one else in this world. He was brave, compassionate and generous. He served in the Marines, the Army Air Corps and the Air Force. He started his own real estate business prior to leaving the service. He was the definition of HUSTLE. Poppop taught us the value of money, how to balance checkbooks, how to buy and sell houses. He taught me, “Bethy, buying a house is not harder than buying a car. Its just more signatures, it’s not scary”.
He taught me to read an amortization table. How to check the oil in my car. He taught me about God, and even though he was not Catholic, he attended Holy Cross with Mommom and I. He was the definition of LOVE. He always took care of my father, and my mother, and the three of us, his grandchildren, me, Laura and Josh. He loved us, and he loved our children.
When Mommom died, Poppop did not handle it well. I remember her being sick with cancer, and he just didn’t know how to cope, she was the strength. I remember her joking prior to her death, “Beth Ann, if Poppop dies first, Dover’s going to have the biggest bonfire it’s ever seen”, referring to his “collecting” of excess items, at Chandelle.
When my father died, Poppop was our family’s rock. He held us together and rescued us. He supported my mom, he talked to me Laura and Josh, worked us through our grief. If you needed comfort, Poppop was it. He always loved my mother unconditionally, and took care of her, after Dad had passed.
I can remember the smell of his aftershave, the veins and whorls on his hands. How he loved to cook. How he used to run the daily “route” from Chandelle, always in order, the post office, the bank, the grocery store. He always told us “keep the shiny side up” when we were driving, because momentum would hurt you, in a curve if driving too fast. He always warned me against having too many “irons in the fire”, but he appreciated the hustle. Because of my grandfather, Laura Josh and I have learned to love, open heartedly, love life, have adventure, chase dreams, and have the courage to face scary challenges down.

There is a sucking hole now, here in this world, because Jack Wich is gone from it. In the last 5 years, we all know he has declined medically, and mentally, he did not have the sharpness. He was plagued by dementia and paranoia, I wanted peace for him, I wanted him to relax, and be the confidence he used to be. Being in an assisted living, or nursing home, is such a loss of independence, for a man who commanded 200+ men in the Military. He told me once, Bethy, on the day I retired, I went from being a Master Seargent in charge of an Air Force fleet, to being in charge of the lawn at Chandelle.
I miss my grandfather, but I have to think of how joyously Jesus is to FINALLY, after 93 years, see JACK WICH walk through the gates, FINALLY this man who worked his entire life, to be the living definition of God’s Gospel in action, FINALLY arrive in Heaven. What a blessing, what a reward for him to be there now. To be reunited with my grandmother, and my Dad Willie, and to be HEALTHY, and WHOLE, and laughing.

God and all the angels are rejoicing, and we have zero reason to be sad, because Poppop Wich finally has earned and is enjoying LIFE in Heaven. He has zero need for this earthly body any longer. He lived a full life, and used all the gifts that God provided to him, on this earth. I’m so proud to be Jack Wich’s granddaughter, it is a legacy that I will hold onto for the rest of my life, as I try to live by the knowledge he has given me. Thank you Poppop, I love you forever