My father, Wayne Kupferer, died early Tuesday morning, with my sister Cindy at his side. It was actually rather unexpected, but he died peacefully within minutes of calling for her to come downstairs to check on him.  We aren't exactly sure what happened, but we suspect that the cancer had spread to a vital area of the brain or heart - and caused his death.

 

We moved dad from the Palos Verdes Senior Living Center in Peoria, AZ to my sister’s house outside Denver, CO at the end of March.  We had planned to move him into a “sister facility” of Palos Verde near her house but they closed their doors to new residents 2 days before he was scheduled to move in – due to the COVID-19 outbreak!

 

Over the course of the past 3 weeks, he had been showing more energy and enthusiasm than we had seen for some time.  In fact, when Cindy arrived home from work that Monday evening before he passed, dad and her husband (Stephen) were sitting on the back porch swing, enjoying fresh, sliced tomatoes they had just pulled from the garden, and talking about the golf tournament he had watched that day. Earlier that day, Wayne had 'helped' Stephen in the garage, by sitting on his walker and sweeping up sawdust from the boards Stephen had been cutting. 

 

The previous Saturday they had taken him out to IHOP for pancakes, and he ate a whole stack, plus scrambled eggs and 2 cups of coffee! [Keep in mind that he had lost 25 lbs since arriving at their house due to lack of appetite so this was a big deal!]  After breakfast, he had talked with his girlfriend Lu on the phone (she lives in Phoenix) and they talked and laughed for 45 minutes. 

 

Overall, he just seemed happier and more content these past few weeks.  I have no doubt he is enjoying a reunion with family and friends who have passed on before him.  

 

Dad chose to be cremated.  We won't hold any kind of service, at his request.  But I suspect that my sister and I will make a short trip together to Lake Powell - one of dad's (and our families) favorite places - to reminisce.  Dad had told us at one time that he wanted his ashes scattered there, but a few years ago he told us that he had changed his mind.  He didn't like the idea of the carp gobbling up his ashes!  He said instead, "Put me up on the shelf by your mom, and if you wake up one morning and my urn is on the floor, you'll know she didn't want me there!"

 

In true Wayne fashion, he had his sense of humor till the end.