Love you Grandpa
Thomas Wade of Vassar, age 74, died Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at his home. Thomas was born September 19, 1933 in Detroit, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and Pauline (Paye) Wade. He and Nancy Chapman were united in marriage January 22, 1955 in Detroit.
Surviving are his wife Nancy Wade of Vassar, 10 Children, 27 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, sisters Mary, Eleanor, and Paula and brother John.
That is my grandpa…. and I am both entirely saddened by the loss of such an amazing and loving man, and overjoyed that he is truly in heaven. The bible says to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and I know that my Grandfather is smiling in heaven.
I wish I could explain his character to you… and how many lives he touched… but I will let my uncle, my mom, and mydad do that
May you all be as blessed as I have been by a man so good.
Tom Wade, the head of the family passed away Tuesday October 16th about 6:45 in the evening. A life of few regrets and hundreds of exciting moments. Although I knew him only 6 years, he did his best to fill me in with wit, stories, maps, pool advice, lawn mowing aid, tree trimming hints, and most of all with his reminiscing about the Detroit Edison days. A one of a kind story teller that always kept my interest till the end of each event. I was blest in that I got the honor of seeing him every week. It was hard to watch him come outside and pull nails during the pool removal project, but I knew that it got him outdoors and that was great for him. He was concerned that I would run over a nail with my mower and get a flat tire.
His passing was very sad for about an hour. Then as we wiped our tears and blew our noses, we started talking about the life of this fantastic family man. And yes, there was some song singing on the approach to the garage with an age-jumping combination of voices bellowing out while smilling ear to ear. We drank some beer and wine and saluted the owner of the reunion property.
Taps will be played at the gravesite with a 21 gun salute and flag presentation to the family.
Please help celebrate the life of Tom Wade with me.
Love to all
(Uncle) Charlie
Tom Wade was and always will be a man of strength and knowledge. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren deeply. It was an honor for me to have shared his last days and to witness his love. I will always think of him with much love and respect and a smile will appear just hearing his name.
His wish was to celebrate his life and that is what the family will do in the next coming days. We will celebrate his life and the gift for having him in ours.
Cathy (My mother)
Charlie, Cathy, - couldn’t have said it better myself. Dad was my example of what a son, a brother, a uncle, a husband, a dad, a co-worker, a Christian and a friend are all about. He was always giving (many times through the stories Charlie mentioned), always thanking God for what he had, and not asking for more. He was a friend and a mentor to me. He always greeted me with a hug, a kiss and a smile, something my family has carried on as a habit. For a guy that grew up without a dad, he over achieved what he lacked as a young man and not only was the father figure to his family, but his grandchildren as well. For allowing me to be a dad with a dad, I thanked him. I have no complaints about him or what he did for me. You couldn’t have written a better ending to the story of a man with a mission and passion to create the perfect family and bring together what he saw ripped apart as a child. He allowed us all to say good-bye and laugh with him one more time. Way to go pops, great job! I’ll miss you always and think of you often. We will carry on the legacy you nurtured and grew into the beautiful arrangement of color and love that it is today. Thank you (Dad) for the wisdom, support, guidance and reassurance that allowed me to become the man I am. Your love and devotion to this family will be greatly missed. To my mentor, my friend and my dad, THANKS ! Well done, well done. Bravo! Here’s to you. Cheers, Love - D@nny (my Father)
