Did anyone know my grandpa? George Van Boven

[Becky]

My grandpa on my dad's side passed away last month. It was so unexpected and sad for all of us, but thankfully he did so peacefully and pain free. He was 82 years old, about 2 years ago was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and frontal lobe dementia. Despite that he looked good and his memory seemed great (with small phases of issue here and there). Early April he started feeling bad, running a fever, no appetite, lethargic, and complained of pain in his ribs. When his fever got worse, he was taken to the ER where they did a CT scan. It showed he had cancer that metastasized, lesions in his rib bones, his back and in his liver. The doctors said that it was in the end stages and too advanced that all they could do was make him comfortable until he passed. They set him up with hospice care in his home, and approved limited visitations (no more than 2 people at a time).

I got to go visit him on April 24th, and I am so extremely grateful I did, it was one of the hardest things to do knowingly saying goodbye but not many people get that opportunity. I held his hands and looked through old photo albums, I got to tell him about getting engaged to Shaun, listening to old stories of his hunting days and building his beautiful home.. I ended up being one of the last to visit with him, he passed at 6:30 am on the 27th. As sudden as it was from his diagnosis to his passing, we were extremely lucky that he went without any pain and most of his memory still in tact.

His funeral was June 2nd, and I have so many questions. He was so much, SO much, touched so many, and I had no idea. I just loved my grandpa, visiting him and staying weekends at his house when I grew up, being taught to fish and swim in his lake. His funeral was so eye opening.

He had a military funeral with an honor guard detail. They did a rifle salute and presented my step-grandma with a flag. I found out he was a Senior Master Sergeant at McChord AFB, he served as a supervisor of the 446 Organizational Maintenance Squadron until his retirement. He was a black bear hunting guide  in the Rainer, Lacey, Roy, Yelm area and took many military members. In the late 70s he held a record for WA state, I know it was within the top 10 but not sure the exact placement. I am trying to find out any information I can, is there a registry on previous record holders?

With the extremely large turnout at his funeral, and looking through the display of all the times he'd been published in various newspapers etc. as a hunting guide, I just am trying to find out if anyone knew him that is a member here.

[quadrafire]

Sorry for your loss. Hope you turn up some information that you are looking for.

Funny or Sad how often we don't know all the stories about our families until after their passing.

[bearpaw]

I wondered if you were related to him, sorry to hear he has passed. I didn't know your grandpa personally but I knew of him, he had a reputation as a hound hunter who knew what he was doing, he was very successful, I would have enjoyed meeting and visiting with him. If you talk with some of the old time hound doggers in western WA I'm sure you can run into someone who will know more than I do, perhaps even one of his old hunting friends. Maybe some of the hound doggers on the forum know some old dog hunters who knew him well? I wished I could help you more!

I've been lucky to know a few old time hound hunters pretty well, they had some awesome stories, I'm sure your grandpa had many, many, good stories!

[h20hunter]

Beck...I don't but man I sure wish I had!

[brew]

thanks for posting...obviously that man lived a hell of a life that many of us would liked to have lived. May he Rest In Peace and please take solice in the fact that he lived a life how he wanted enjoying what most of us would like to do.

bryan

[BNAElkhntr]

No I didn't Know Him , But now I do Thanks so much for sharing, May he always be remembered

[Fl0und3rz]

So sorry for your loss.

[huntnfmly]

Very sorry for your loss sounds like he was a great person.
And just know that last visit you had with him meant the world to him

[saylean]

Always hard losing a grandparent, especially one who means so much. Your story and backstory of your gpa reminds me much of mine.

Did you see these links to stories about him?
http://evd.stparchive.com/Archive/EVD/EVD02221984P12.php

http://www.biggamehoundsmen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2758&start=15

In the biggamehounds link someone talks about him, in the third post down from the top.

[FWilliams]

one of the best all around plott hounds that I owned came from his line of dogs. He was a great houndsman, and   I always liked talking hunting with him when we were down hunting that way.    Do some searches with his name and plott hounds in the subject line and I am sure you will get some hits. I would also visit some of the hound hunting sites and search his name.

that article in the dispatch with the picture of him and his wife posted by saylean is fantastic......just how I remember him...


Very sorry to hear of his passing and of your loss.

Fred

[Bullkllr]

I remember seeing that 2nd picture. Maybe in the TNT or old F&H News?

Sorry for your family's loss. That's a powerful legacy.

[Becky]

Thank you guys for the reply, I'm still reading through a lot of newspaper stories I took pictures of. He was such an amazing man, I just never put the pieces together that he was well known outside of my family realm. He was just grandpa, he was silly and fun, he had a pet deer and lots of dogs and lots of stories. I am very sad but very happy reading through the full life he led.

Grandpa and Alice, she lived to be 19.. free range on his 40 acres, every year raising her fawns there.

[Becky]

one of the best all around plott hounds that I owned came from his line of dogs. He was a great houndsman, and   I always liked talking hunting with him when we were down hunting that way.    Do some searches with his name and plott hounds in the subject line and I am sure you will get some hits. I would also visit some of the hound hunting sites and search his name.

that article in the dispatch with the picture of him and his wife posted by saylean is fantastic......just how I remember him...


Very sorry to hear of his passing and of your loss.

Fred

Thank you Fred! I will look around there.

[Machias]

Sure seems like a GREAT American, very sorry for your loss.

[NoBark]

Quite a few Van Boven's around here.  But I don't recall anyone mentioning a George.  Sorry for you loss but you have lots of great memories.   Celebrate a well lived life.