My grandfather passed away early this morning. He lived 5 minutes from our house my entire life and was a one-of-a-kind who had a huge impact on my life. He always wanted a large funeral and to know what we would all say about him. Luckily my grandma was able to read him letters.

But because of Coronavirus I wasn’t able to visit with him in his final days. And he won’t get the in-person send-off he deserves from the 100s of people he has impacted, who I know wanted the opportunity to honor him properly.

So I wanted to tell the world a bit more about him.

This morning, I drove by his favorite diner (though he would complain that it got too fancy over the decades).

He always knew every detail about every waiter’s life — and they knew him. That was true everywhere he went.

Above all else, he believed no person was less than any other.

He would often send me random notes like this:

He was proud of where he came from, a poor town in India, and one of the most brilliant people I’ve known. He was incredibly educated and a successful doctor, but you would never know that from meeting him. He loved to brag about how all his suits were 30-years-old & from Sears.

He and my grandma met and eloped to England after just a few weeks! They were soulmates. Growing up with working parents, it was often the two of them who would greet us from school or drive us to practices.

He always stood up for what was right and honest, no matter the consequence. And there were consequences. He hated bullies, Trump most of all. Often, he could focus on nothing else but getting this country he loved back on track. I’m angry he won’t get to see Trump out of office.

Most of all he was an incredible husband, brother, father, and grandfather who did nothing, but unconditionally love and support his family.

I miss him already.