Grandfather obituary examples for inspiration

Walter Morrison, 89, of Boise, Idaho, died on February 8, 2026, at a VA medical center. He was wearing his Korean War veteran cap, as he did most days. Walter was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1936, to Gene and Martha Morrison. He enlisted in the Army at 18 and served in Korea from 1955 to 1957. He didn't talk about the war much, but he never missed a Veterans Day parade. After the Army, Walter used the GI Bill to attend Boise State, earning a degree in accounting. He worked at Boise Cascade for 32 years. His coworkers called him "the Colonel" even though his actual rank was corporal. He never corrected them. He married Jean Holloway in 1960. They had three children and stayed in the same house on Emerald Street for 55 years. Jean died in 2018. Walter kept her coffee cup in the dish rack the whole time after. Walter's grandchildren knew him as the man with butterscotch candies in his shirt pocket, the one who could build anything from scrap wood, and the grandfather who took them fishing and never once rushed them to leave. Walter is survived by his children, Steven (Linda) Morrison, Diane (Robert) Clark, and Patricia Morrison; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his brother, Henry Morrison. Services with military honors will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Morris Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Idaho Veterans Garden.

Reverend James Arthur Washington Sr., 92, of Memphis, Tennessee, went home to be with the Lord on February 14, 2026, at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Born on August 3, 1933, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to Arthur and Bessie Washington, James was called to ministry at 19 and never looked back. He earned his Bachelor of Divinity from American Baptist College in Nashville in 1958 and was ordained the same year. Reverend Washington pastored Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Memphis for 41 years, from 1963 until his retirement in 2004. Under his leadership, the congregation grew from 200 to over 1,500 members. He marched with Dr. King in Memphis in 1968 and carried that commitment to justice into every sermon he preached after. He married Ernestine Cole in 1957. Together they raised four children who still can't agree on who was his favorite (he insisted it was always the one who was behaving). His grandchildren called him "Papa J" and knew his study as the place where you could always get a peppermint and 20 minutes of undivided attention, no matter how busy he was. Reverend Washington is survived by his wife, Ernestine; his children, James Jr. (Patricia) Washington, Cheryl (William) Banks, Sandra (Michael) Lewis, and Anthony (Lisa) Washington; fifteen grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and his sister, Dorothy Washington. Homegoing celebration will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mt. Zion Scholarship Fund.

Bobby Flanagan, 75, of Savannah, Georgia, died on February 3, 2026, doing exactly what his family told him not to: climbing a ladder to clean his own gutters. He would have found this funny. Bobby was born in Savannah in 1950 and never saw a reason to live anywhere else. He graduated from Savannah High School, served four years in the Navy, and came home to work at Georgia Ports Authority for 30 years. He married Carol Delaney in 1974. She kept him fed, he kept her laughing, and it worked for 51 years. Bobby was the grandfather who taught his grandkids to fish, play poker, and swear in Gaelic (he was only a quarter Irish but committed fully to that quarter). He grilled year-round, smoked his own ribs, and considered ketchup on a steak a personal insult. Bobby is survived by his wife, Carol; his children, Kevin (Amy) Flanagan and Megan (Chris) Doyle; six grandchildren who will miss him more than they can say; his sister, Kathleen O'Brien; and his dog, Guinness. A celebration of Bobby's life will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at his house. Bring a lawn chair. In lieu of flowers, buy someone a beer and tell them about Bobby.