Carroll W. Huff
1916 - 2010
Earlier this morning, I came across an obituary online for my Granddad. I called and spoke with the woman at the funeral home that wrote it whom stated that it wasn't in the package that was ordered, but she felt there should be something online for him. The reason I called was actually to correct a miss-spelled name and add a couple great-grandchildren. And then as I was making breakfast, I realized that there needed to be more than the names of his family members on the internet as some kind of documentation of his life. Realize that what I am about to write and you are about to read about him is from a granddaughter's perspective and much of this information is what I have retained from childhood memories. Please comment below this post if you have any additions, corrections, or comments to add about him. I would really appreciate that.
In my eyes, he was a wonderful man that married my Grandma (Claire) and worked for IBM to provide for his family a son (John, my Dad) and daughter (Janet, my Aunt). They spent much of their life in Maryland before he retired and moved with my Grandma to Lehigh Acres, Florida. In my Grandma's letters she wrote how much they were enjoying their retirement time together. I remember while visiting my Granddad and Grandma dancing in their living room to show us the steps they had learned in their dance classes. There was nothing more romantic to me as a young teenage girl then to see them so happy, taking on new challenges, smiling there and enjoying the dance in front of me. That was one thing about my Granddad, his smile! He was always smiling to see us, to listen when we spoke, and when he laughed... he laughed loud.
My Granddad was quite the tech whiz in my eyes too. It almost seemed as he would light up while conversing about his experiences as an FCC licensed hand radio operator, one of the "Lehigh Hams" in Southwest, Florida. And before I even set my fingers on a computer, Granddad already had internet handles, participated in chats, and eventually even set up websites. He was a stroke and colon cancer survivor for 20 years! I hadn't heard about the later strokes and cancers that ultimately would claim his life until just weeks before his death. And speaking of death... he lived 94 years! I am fortunate to have the memories I've shared here and so many more from visits and vacations with him. And, oh my gosh, I have to mention how he loved his citrus fruit trees that he grew and how there was nothing sweeter than the fruit my Granddad picked for me. My love for him overflows from my heart into happy tears as I imagine he is now reunited with Grandma, dancing with her in Heaven, smiling, and laughing out loud!
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