My Grampy

Warren Merrill Dailey

May 5, 1933 - Novemeber 30, 2012

 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted."  -Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

My Grampy was born to Mary and Maurice Dailey in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1933 and went to Stanford University, where he was a member of the golf team.  He played on the 1953 National Championship team and eventually went on to play on the PGA Senior Tour for several years.  He met my Annie at Stanford, and as fate would have it, they were both from the exact same small town in Wisconsin.  They got married in 1955 and moved into Maple Bluff village in Madison, Wisconsin, where they had my Uncle Mike and my mom. Grampy worked as a manufacturer’s representative in the steel industry until he started his own company, Dailey Metal Group, in 1990.  He was so involved in his community and church and never met a stranger, no matter where he went.  Grampy lived life to the fullest, with determination to do the best he could do, whether it involved his family, his work, his golf game.  He passed away on Friday fighting the devastating effects of diabetes.

It sounds cliche, but I just adored my grandpa. He would always make every trip to see him and Annie so special.  From eating early breakfasts together at the Blue Plate and picking out our favorite candy at Copps to walking together in the CrazyLegs Classic and spending time on vacation at the Gaspirilla Inn, the memories we made with him will be ones I will cherish forever.  I always looked up to him and can only hope to be half as amazing as he was. As sad as I am that I'll never have the chance to hug him or laugh with him or tell him how much I love him again, he meant the world to my family, and I find comfort knowing that he is in Heaven playing lots of golf, making new friends, and faithfully watching over us.     

These pictures below are just a tiny snapshot of his life and the respected legacy he leaves behind.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep;

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain:

I am the gentle autumn’s rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft star that shines at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there; I did not die."

-Anonymous

I love you so much, Grampy, and I can't wait to see you again someday soon.