Great Grandpa Heath

Will's grandpa, Paul Heath, had recently moved to an assisted living facility.  He has always been fiercely independent.  He kept driving himself around when he probably should have let someone else do it, he stayed at home even as his body began to fail.  He still has a sharp mind.  Because my understanding of him leads me to believe that, even though he puts on a smiling face, I think he would rather be somewhere else, I hope that his stay in the place where he is now is a short one.  I hope that he'll soon get to see his sweetheart again in heaven.

He worked as a sealer in the Salt Lake temple until he just couldn't make the trips anymore.  The got permission to come down to the Timpanogos temple to be the sealer at our wedding.  I remember he got halfway from Salt Lake to American Fork where the temple is and realized he had forgotten his temple clothing.  The temple workers had me and Will wait in the Celestial Room and didn't tell us what was going on.  They didn't want to worry us on our big day.  And then when Paul called me "Sarah" instead of "Anna" right before the ceremony, in front of everyone, I knew it was a story that would be told to our own grandkids.

Whenever anyone talks about him scouting always comes up.  I'm from a family of mostly girls so I don't know a lot about scouting, but is would appear that the Silver Beaver was the highest scouting honor you used to be able to receive.  I think they've retired that award now.  But Paul got it.  He paid attention to how the scouts taught boys to behave.  As I was never around during his scouting days, all I know is that he treated me kindly always, and has a sweet sense of humor.  (calling me by the wrong name as he was about to marry me to his grandson didn't phase him a bit, and he's called me by the right name ever since.)

So this is my tribute to him, though I know it's only a tiny one. We forgot the camera, but we had the ipad so the pics are grainy.  But I'm posting them anyway because I think they're important.

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