Remembering Our Dear Papa
Inside: Remembering our dear Papa, a simple, faithful life that pointed so many of us to Jesus. We miss him so very much.
Our dear Papa went home to be with the Lord on April 19, 2026.
We miss him so very much.
We had his funeral in West Virginia surrounded by close family and friends. Papa is buried there, where he was born, beside Mama in a beautiful cemetery on a mountain. As believers, we know his true home is with Christ, but it still feels like a sweet kindness from the Lord to have a peaceful place to visit and give thanks for his life.
Papa lived a simple life, but he loved people so well. One of the ways my Doug has shared that with others is by saying, “You know my Dad loved you, because he told you about Jesus.” And that really was Papa. He cared deeply about people’s souls. He loved fishing, especially with Doug and his grandson, and even down by the river where he spent so much time, the Lord gave him opportunities to talk with people about Christ. Papa never seemed to meet a stranger, and so many lives were touched through the faithful way he lived for Christ.
The older I get, the more I realize it’s often the simple, faithful lives that leave the deepest impact behind. The Lord used Papa’s faithful life, prayers, and example in more ways than I could ever fully put into words.
He had such an impact on our family. He loved being part of everyday life with us, family dinners, birthdays, holidays, Camp Nana Papa shows, games with the great-grandchildren, and all the simple moments that now feel like treasures. He was so encouraging to me in my writing, so excited for my book to come out, and faithfully listened to my podcast episodes. He was more than a father-in-law to me. He truly was my dad.
We are still grieving. Sometimes I can walk by a photo, or a memory comes to mind, and the tears come all over again. We miss taking dinner up to his house and eating together around the table, running errands with him, taking him to appointments, and simply spending time with him.
And I just want to thank so many of you for your prayers, kind notes, messages, and encouragement during this season. Our family has been deeply grateful for the love and care you’ve shown us.
The Lord was so kind to give us the time we had with him in our home before He called him home. We grieve, but not as those without hope. Papa knew and loved Jesus, and our comfort is that he is now with the Savior he loved and told so many others about.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.“
Philippians 1:21
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