Eulogy 2/8/06: Grandpa Carlos

Friends and family, I am Carlos Quintana, paternal Grandfather of Leah. I want to thank all of you for being here, knowing that many of you came from afar to comfort the family during this most difficult time. There is nothing more mentally traumatic than losing one of your children. I have other Grandchildren and they are all special. Leah was just as special. She was a beautiful-beautiful child in all respects; her demeanor, sense of humor, athletic abilities and physical appearance.

Her demeanor was that of a happy child, always smiling whether playing, chatting or even while eating. As my Son-in-Law Yakov once said, Leah comes in with that cute smile and a twinkle in her eye that seems to say I know something that you don’t. The only time she wasn’t smiling was when she was having a tiff with Andrew, but in a few minutes they were hugging and smiling. They were not only siblings but also the greatest of friends.

Her sense of humor was quite clever. If I had not seen her in a while I would pretend she might be Andrew and she would retort, “I am Leah”.! I t didn’t take long before she caught on to me and would say, “I am Andrew and I play soccer and baseball”, and then she would call me, “Grandpa Al”.

Her athletic abilities were quite unique, being a bit of a tomboy, wanting to do everything Andrew was doing. At our family gatherings, whether in Monterey, San Mateo, Burlingame or Lincoln, she would be right in the middle of the playing activity. After a while she would come in wanting something to drink, her hair all tussled and giving you that big smile with her head crooked over a bit. How could anyone deny that request? She played soccer for several years and last year she decided she also wanted to do gymnastics. In order to classify them into groups they were tested for upper body strength. She was able to do an amazing 17 chin-ups, so I was told. Next time I saw her I asked her and she confirmed it, adding, “How many can you do Grandpa?” I muttered something unintelligible and promised I would try it when my rotator cuff was a bit better. Any time her Dad was working a project at home she would always want to help, “What can I do?” she would ask. Guess what? She received her own toolbox for Christmas.

Leah was a beautiful-beautiful child. I would tell her she was the prettiest little girl in all of Burlingame and she would give me an even bigger smile. Leah will live in our hearts forever. She was our little Angel on earth and now, she is one of Heaven’s little Angels.
Grandpa Carlos