Eric A. Willey
July 12, 1920 - September 25, 2018
Age 98, Huntsville, Alabama
Mr. Willey was born on July 12, 1920 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England to Harold Willey and Miriam Rands Willey. He was the eldest of five children. He was a devoted member and previously served as treasurer of Valley United Methodist Church for many years. Mr. Willey served in WWII as a mechanic in the British Tank Corps. He retired from Chrysler Corp. as a manufacturing engineer. He was skilled at woodworking and enjoyed ballroom dancing and traveling. Mr. Willey was preceded in death by his parents, his previous wife Sylvia of 43 years and four siblings. He leaves to cherish precious memories his wife, Doris Willey; three children, Leslie G. Willey (Elaine), Linda J. Muffoletto (Joe) and Susan A. Gaines (Marshall); five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one stepdaughter, Debby Taylor (Joe); three step grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren.
We traveled to Huntsville to be there for Grandad's funeral. When Nanny saw us at the viewing, she hugged Trace and said that he was "a bright spot in a dark day". I got to meet some of the caretakers that helped Nanny and Grandad at Brookdale and at the hospital. Great people, one was even an adopted Mom like me! When the Pastor had said the final family prayer, he said it was time to shut the casket and that we should all say our goodbyes and let Nanny be the last one to say goodbye. While we were out in the hallway waiting, Trace saw Nanny next to the open casket and asked what she was doing. I told him that she was just saying goodbye to him and she'd be out with us soon. He said; "Oh! I need to tell him something!" So, being the good mother I am, I just pushed him back into the viewing room and stayed in the hallway. Nanny started to head out, and Trace went right up to the casket and I could see him talking. When he came out, I asked him what he said and he replied; "I just told him thanks for being a great Grandad and that I loved him very much." I was very touched and thought it was really a sweet moment. Pretty poignant that he was the last one to speak to him before the casket closed.
He sat next to me during the funeral and was fascinated by the ways it differed from the way we celebrate the dead in our religion. The reverend spent a lot of time with his hands in the air "praising God" and shouting that he "was the Alpha and the Omega". When the congregation began reciting the Lord's Prayer, Trace leaned over and asked me if he should know it. I smiled and said; "No, honey".
Later, as we stood in the chapel watching the entombment of the casket in the mausoleum, Trace left my side and went to stand next to Nanny and held her hand. He stood there so stoically and bravely watched them put Grandad's casket in the wall. He didn't even shed a tear.
After the service, we got to go visit the headstone where my Mom's father, known to me as "Grampy" was buried. I was only a teenager when he died and it was nice to see the headstone. I neglected to visit it the last time I was there and it was a huge regret. When we were walking through the cemetery, Trace remarked that he thought the bodies were buried in the ground, NOT in their caskets. He commented that he didn't know why you'd spend so much money on a beautiful casket and then just bury it in the ground. I know a lot of adults that feel the same way.
We were able to stay a couple extra days and get things settled a bit for Nanny. We even had a day to go to the Space and Rocket Center to entertain Trace for a day. I'm worried that Nanny will be alone now for a bit, but Mom and Dad don't think she should move to Utah yet. They want her to stay with the apartment, friends, church members and doctors that she'll built relationships with for decades. We'll be sure to check on her a lot as a family and see how things go for a while.
