In Memorium: Mauro Dentino, Sr.
Published:
(The following is a written form of the eulogy I gave at my grandfather’s funeral.)
My grandfather, Mauro Dentino Sr., passed away on . My grandfather was a master of many things: engineering, the stock market, and running a family business. However, growing up my sister and I remember the things he did to impress us children.
Papa (as we called him) was the master of sleight-of-hand magic: the old “M&M out of the ear” extraction. The sign language sign for “candy” is a twisting forefinger on the cheek, but I learned it as a twisting forefinger in the ear!
Also, Papa liked to discreetly insert Popsicles into his backyard bushes. Then, he would grab our attention and say, “look at the bushes! It’s magic!” Popsicle bushes! The bushes still stand today, except instead of sprouting Popsicles, they sprout caterpillars. They don’t taste the same.
Papa, we will miss you, deeply. However, I have no doubt that you’re in Heaven enjoying a glass of wine with my grandmother. This isn’t “goodbye;” it’s “see you soon.” To paraphrase our old hero Indiana Jones, “I’ll see you in Heaven!”