This is what Jay said about Dad.
I have been dreaming a lot lately, which according to Mary Louise, is a good thing. She
goes into this litany about rem sleep a state of sleep that recurs cyclically with non REM sleep several times during a blah, blah, blah… The in laws refer to these mini lectures as that “Hubbell” thing.
They will start talking about something like they are an expert and it isn’t until you secretly research whatever it is they are talking about that you realize that they do know what they are talking about.
Hmm I wonder if growing up in a library had anything to do with this?
Visualize if you will that you are somewhere in that beautiful Victorian house, on 4004 Queen.
Take a good look around. My guess is each of you here today have some special memories of that house.
Aside from all the wonderful things you are seeing, and all the wonderful memories you have, you had to have noticed you were surrounded by books.
They’re everywhere.
The gang of nine did grow up in a library. They read, they wrote they painted and acted, it’s where their curiosity for the world and beyond began.
Oh, what gifts you were given.
And how blessed are we, to have had all those gifts and then some passed on. Passed on to our children and hopefully to our children’s children.
When Mary and I got engaged I wanted John G’s blessing. I can remember this day like it was yesterday. I had told ML that today was going to be the day. ML stayed in the kitchen helping Punkin get dinner ready. I went into the TV room. I felt like the cowardly lion.
John G had just finished a round of golf at MGC and was sitting in his chair in the TV room relaxing, watching the nightly news before dinner was ready. I walked in, looked him square in the eye and asked, “I would like your permission to marry Mary Louise?”
His response appeared in the January 1982 edition of the Reader’s Digest, under the title “Marry my daughter, are you serious?”
In my humble opinion I felt and still feel to this day, it was his best literary work.
That was 40 years ago. I have been a “Hubbell” for 40 years!
This past week I have had this recurring dream. I am sitting on the porch at 4004 at that big table in the back corner next to the side yard. Dinner is chuck roast that has been marinated for a week or two in Italian dressing (brilliant Punkin!) and cooked on two weber kettle grills, charcoal not gas. There are dozens of sliced tomatoes and the biggest pot of sweet corn you can imagine. All sitting on the “boat box”.
Now comes the good part.
I am watching John G attack his corn like a point guard from the Academy harassing the blank out of a ball handler from De La Salle. You get the picture? He is destroying that ear of corn. That ear of corn has got no chance. Kernels everywhere. On those rosy cheeks, on his forehead, that big forehead on that huge melon of a head.
Dream ends. I love that dream.
I hope to have that dream many more times.
The kind that makes me happy when I am sad, like today.
John G., as I always referred to him, was known by many names.
Mr. Hubbell, Hub, Gerry, Johnny, Grandpa, Dad and of course, my favorite sweety.
Sweety? Yes sweety. Mary and I were at the Waters sometime before our world was turned inside out and upside down. You know ;the pandemic. John G was having some trouble doing some little task when Punkin, mom, grandma said “let me help you sweety.”
As Mary Louise and I were driving home I said, she called him “sweety”. Sweety. I started to tear up. At that moment I realized in such a profound way that for the past 40 years of my life I had been witnessing the greatest love story in the history of love stories.
While John G was this most remarkable man, accomplished in so many ways, his legacy will be the love he provided to his family first the gang of nine, Charles Woodrow II, John Paul, Mary Louise, Joseph, Mary Margaret, William, Andrew, Mary Katherine and Mary Jean and to his other gang of nine ,the out laws, Kathy, Roy, Heidi, Mike, Vianne, Jeff, Jen and Kent. To his grandkids, he was so proud of each of you, Mike, Katelyn, Chad, Tyler, Megan, Katie, Adam, Zack, Josie, Tucker, Alex, Hootie, Martha, Woody, Vince, BJ, Cary, Logan, Andy, Madalyn, Holden, Hattie, Gus, Johnny, Charlie, Meg, Finbar, Molly, Annie, Stella and Jack and his great grandkids Jaylen, Lucas, Allie, Cecilia, Pearl and Hayes.
And to the woman of his dreams, his bride of 64 Years, his best friend and first editor, the woman who called him I believe his favorite name, Sweety. Katherine Hamel Hartigan Hubbell or Punkin or Grandma Punkin.
Rest in peace, John G. Rest in peace dad. Rest in peace grandpa. Rest in peace Sweety. May perpetual light shine upon you and all the souls of the faithful departed.