Leon A. Lilly, Sr.

Well Papaw, It has been almost 5 years since you left us. Its hard to believe its been that long. I finally made it. I am now and have been a Cop..POPO…for almost a year now, it will be a year August 17th. I wish you was here to see me in uniform, I think you would be proud. I still think about you alot. I finally got to play some rummy last week for the first time since you left us. I kept thinking about you everytime I would lay everything down at one time and go out. I miss you papaw. When I go over to Al’s I still think about you shooting your gun out the door, it puts a smile on my face everytime.I love you Papaw.
Save a spot up there in HEAVEN for me, and of course some fish!!

I guess I better get back to work, I am enjoying this slow night, Dont get them much!!!

As I sit here and stare at this page thinking of you, I look up at your picture on my desk and smile. But the emptiness I feel sometimes without you here is overwhelming. I really need you right now but I know you are with me in a different way. Both of my men are now in law enforcement and I am so very proud. I know you and mom are watching over them to keep them safe. You have a grandson now that is so much like you, your hair, your eyes, your sense of humor, and your love for oatmeal creme pies! What joy Carter would bring you:) as he does me. We will tell him many stories about you and keep you alive in his heart where I know you are. Brayden and Isaac are getting so big. You would just have a ball with all these boys! I love you daddy and miss you beyond words…
Danelle

Daddy,
SO much has happened since you went ‘home’. Some things you just wouldn’t believe..Some would make you laugh and some would even make you cry. I miss you more than words can say. I think about you often and know you are around me. Part of me really wanted you here to help me through my cancer journey but the other part was thankful that you are in heaven helping me through all of this mess. Thank you for giving me such a strong will and determination. When someone tells me how strong I am and say, ‘How do you do it? You are so strong and you just keep going’. I smile and say I get it from my daddy.
You would be so very proud of the boys and the men that they have become, of course you always were proud. I wish I could get one more big hug from you. I could really use one. Please keep PJ safe while he is on patrol, be his guardian angel..They both miss you as we all do..Everytime I see a squirrel I think of you……..I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!!!!!!!!I’m sending you big hugs and kisses to heaven…………

Paps, How I miss you so! I miss all of the stories and jokes you would tell everytime I came to visit. I love you so much! I know that you watch over me, Tony, and Brayden each and every day. I know I will see you again one day. Please tell GOD thank you for my little miracle, Bray. Love from your grandaughter, Sammy!

I can’t believe how much time has passed since you corrected my grammar one last time. I will never forget the look on your face when you shook your head and said “it’s who is rushing whom.” You looked at me with so much disappointment. I still laugh when I think about that moment. I have never made that grammatical mistake again.
For years after you left, I continued to pick up the phone to call you to ask a silly question. Most of them were based around cooking (which I still can’t do). Some questions were about life advice, the majority vastly unimportant. I miss your follow up phone calls after advice was given. They always started with “now, what you do is….” I could set a timer by those follow up phone calls.
Carter is 14 now. My heart still aches that you never got to meet him. He is me with different plumbing. You may not have survived Jennie 2.0. He joined us in the rare 1% of the population with red hair and blue eyes. He is simply exquisite. He has the kindest heart and sees beauty in things most people would simply ignore. He is incredibly intelligent and has taken your place as the grammar police. You two would have been a dangerous pair.
We spend the majority of our free time fishing. I have been to every lake, pond, river and mud hole in the south east hoping he catches a that huge bass that he always talks about.
There are so many things adult me wishes young me had done. I wish we had spent more time together, I wish I had called you for more advice. I wish I had listened to your conspiracy theories and your old radio.
I miss you more than words could ever express. If you could read this, I am sure you would have a red pen out rearranging my sentences and paragraphs. I even miss that.
I assure you Carter knows the rules with who and whom- you would be proud.

I miss you Dad. If Carter ever catches the elusive bass, I will know you had a hand in it.