Today, December 7th, Val would have been 100 years old! He passed away the 13th of November, just missing that century mark by a few weeks. He was my mother's step-father, pictured above with his wife, Mildred or "Millie." Their grandkids called them "Mummy" and "Papa Val." They are pictured here by their front doorstep in Wichita, Kansas. They lived here till they retired and moved to Lake Tahoe, Calif. where we would go in the summers on vacation. Papa Val always had a candy in his pocket for us. He had a fun Lithuanian accent and a ready smile. He loved making money in the stock market, and when we visited years ago he was always pouring over the stock report in the newspaper and he liked to bet on horse races. He was unique and interesting to listen to. He had an incredible mind and could remember names and dates and personal information about people. Rest in peace, PaPa Val.
