Terry's dad lost his battle with Alzheimer's yesterday. :-(

Just about exactly two years ago he wandered away from home, slipped, fell and hit his head and was laying unconscious in the snow for who knows how long before Terry's step mom realized he was gone and called out the search party. Ever since then he has been in a nursing home, slowly deteriorating. We usually visit every Thanksgiving and a year ago (Thanksgiving 2003) he was still aware enough that I believe he recognized Terry. He was awake and watching TV and "trying" to carry on a conversation. Since then he has gone downhill fast. This last year we didn't make the trip at Thanksgiving because Tubby got sick. I knew we should go because I knew Terry's dad was getting bad, but Terry insisted we stay home and tend to Tubby.

He had gotten to the point where basically all he did was sleep. Terry's stepmom and the rest of the family out there visited on a regular basis, and they had been there yesterday afternoon and everything was normal....until they got the call about 5:00 pm that he had passed away in his sleep.

I am so sad, but I know he wouldn't have wanted to live the way he was - if he knew - and I know he is in a much better place now.

I only knew him a few years before the Alzheimer's really started kicking in, but I knew him as a funny, joyful man. He loved his wife and family so much, and he knew he had grandchildren before it got too bad. The last few years have really been a strain on the family, but he will be missed terribly.

RIP Lee.