Albert Kopecky

This is my grandpa and I when I was little. (My mom provided me with this picture. It was taken by someone in my family.)

A hero can be defined with many words, brave, courageous, loving, strong (both mentally and physically), etc. The list could go on and on. Some heroes are famous, like Gandhi or Malayala. Others, are not known worldwide, like my grandpa. He was a role model for me and my family. He believed in God, and he is with God now, I strongly believe that. I am motivated to be a good person so I can see him when Jesus comes again. He was a hero to his family, friends, and to me.

This is another picture of my grandpa. (My mom provided me with this picture. It was taken by a photographer.)

My hero is my grandpa, Albert Kopecky. Albert was born on August 10, 1946. He went to school at St. Mary's in Taylor, Texas. He got married to my grandma, Dorothy, on March 2, 1968. Before he was diagnosed with cancer, I know that I had spent a lot of time with him, but, sadly, I do not remember a lot of it. The things I do remember, though, are all good and happy. He was someone whom everybody loved and wanted to be around. He loved his family and friends, and they loved him back. Cancer is a scary thing, yet he fought through the pain to keep going. He was not sad and angry about it. Instead he was happy to see us when we came to visit him in the hospital. One memory I have of him is walking down the street with him and eating pecans and talking; just me and him. Quality time is one thing I wish I could have more of with him, and I wish I could remember more moments with him. One day, I hope I will. I remember the day that my parents told me that he passed away, and I was very sad, as was everyone else. He died from pancreatic cancer on February 10, 2007, at the age of 60. I was in the second grade then.

A lot of years have passed since then. I still think about him, and my family talks about him often, always in high regards. I am told how I look like him, or act just like him, or how I have his feet. I am proud to hear those things, and to know that I am like him, and that I cause people to think of him. Why? Because he was a great and loving person. He cared about the little things as well as the big things, and I am proud to be his grandson.