The World is a Little Less Sweet

Thomas Minton Burchfield

June 13, 1922 - June 10, 2011

Last Friday Jeff's Pappaw passed away.  He was one of the sweetest men I have ever known.  From the moment I met him it was as if I had known him my whole life.  I loved him and getting to be a part of his life and family for the last 12 years.  He will be greatly missed...going to Houston to visit the fam won't quite be the same anymore without Pappaw there.

I know Jeff has a gazillion more memories of Pappaw but here are just a few things I want to remember...

He always knew what the weather was in San Diego and a visit with him never went by without him mentioning the weather my family was having.

He loved the Astros and I will always remember him sitting in his chair watching a game.

The summer that Jeff and I got married we stayed with Mammaw and Pappaw.  Jeff clerked at two different law firms in downtown Houston and their house was much closer to downtown than Jeff's parents.  Pappaw was always up super early to go to the coffee shop to eat and talk with his friends.  He was usually returning when Jeff was leaving to go to work.  On days that I went with Jeff so I could have the car for the day I would come back and do the daily crossword puzzle while Pappaw sat and read the newspaper...one of my favorite memories of hanging out with Pappaw.

He was a mechanic with Knapp Chevrolet for 41 years and still worked on cars at the house even after he retired.  I went with him on many a trip to get car parts and he always bragged to the guys he knew at the store that I was his future granddaughter.

{Pappaw with Evan...Thanksgiving 2009.  Evan's middle name is Thomas after Pappaw}

My favorite memory is him meeting Ethan and Evan...my all-time favorite picture is the one at the top from Father's Day last year...I will always cherish getting to have a picture with four generations of Burchfield men.
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We will miss Pappaw everyday and look forward to the day we get to see him again in Heaven.