A Eulogy for My Grandfather

My grandfather died seven years ago this week (4/2/04); we miss him terribly.  What follows below is the eulogy I delivered at his funeral.  I nearly lost my handwritten copy in a house fire; I transcribe it here for posterity.
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In the few minutes I have to speak to you all, it would be impossible to adequately honor my grandfather's life.  He was many things to many people; to some, he was all things.  Burton leaves behind a large and loving family who already miss him dearly.  From the three generations of family here today, to his adopted children from all corners of the globe, to friends both old and new, Burton was a rock, an island of stability in a changing world.  He was temperate, loving, patient.  He was always ready for a conversation or a few off-key bars of "Old Man River."  The rock that was Burton Bronsther has been taken from us.  We now must look to each other for support and to honor his life, deeds, and accomplishments.

Burton was an incredible father, husband, grandfather, brother, and uncle.  He loved and fretted over each and every one of us, and looks to ensure that we we all doing well.  To see him smile, hear his deep bass laugh and have his approval was a blessing beyond compare.

Burt's kind nature and his strength of character can be seen not only in the presence today of people who knew him as a young man, but also in his ability to foster new friendships worldwide.  He touched so many lives around the world, and his appearance, his personality, were so magnetic that they drew even more to him.  Children often mistook him for Santa Claus; adults thought he was Raymond Burr.  He was such an amazing man that for decades people would approach him in the most unlikely places, remembering that he operated on their sons and daughters in years far removed.

As a surgeon, he had no equal.  His mentor, Dr. Willis Potts, would send out recommendation letters telling people that while Burt had the largest hands he'd ever seen on a doctor. each finger was a gift from God.  His surgical precision, ease, and speed were such that med students would place bets with each other on how quickly he could complete a given operation.  As a founder of SACOW along with my grandmother and as a professor of medicine, he instructed generations of doctors and saved countless lives.  He cared deeply for his patients, a fact I learned early on as he recounted the day's cases at the dinner table.

Now that he is gone, we must cherish our memories of Dr. Burton Bronsther, MD, PhD, FACS, etc.  His most important designations were father, husband, and friend.

I remember him not only as my grandfather, but as the man who raised me as his own son.  I looked to him and learned from him as a father.  He taught me all the things a boy needed to know: how to ride a bike, how to root for the home team, how to catch and hit and throw a ball.  He also taught me what is was to be a man, how to be patient, strong, loving, and compassionate.  He taught me to be unafraid, to face a problem head-on.  He taught me kindness and charity, and he taught me to believe in the strength and wonderment of humanity.  On a lighter note, those of you who were ever in a car with him can rest easy knowing that he wasn't the one who taught me to drive.

Please, take time today to share your memories of Burton with the rest of us.

Goodbye, Pop-Pop, and godspeed.