Herbert Sylvester Partridge, 1905-2006

My grandfather died yesterday.

"Syl" was a father, a banker, a Mason, and a band member. He sang songs in German, fished with his daughters, and after decades of playing the clarinet he took up the bagpipes at the age of 80.

He was the only person I was able to exchange the Phi Beta Kappa handshake with. He believed in a glass of sherry and a dish of ice cream.

He traced his own ancestors back to multiple members of the Mayflower company; his lineage included sea captains and missionaries, and his own father was a justice of the peace and school superintendent.

I toast Syl Partridge.