Big B

What is a hero? A hero is someone who is driven, brave, funny, courageous, selfless, loving, appreciated, and joyful. My grandfather, Robert Korbel Davis is all these and many more. That's what makes him a hero. I chose to write about three of the traits that described my grandfather most. He was driven, brave, and funny. Big B was born in Los Angeles, on Oct. 23, 1933. He fought as hard as he could to stay on this Earth until he lost the fight to colon cancer in 1996. All 6'6" of him. He definitely impacted everyone he met. I guarantee that if I walked up to someone he met thirty years ago and asked them if they remember Big B, they would say yes. Even though I never met him, Big B is my hero because he tried so hard to stay with me and my family.

Big B was a very driven person. If he had a task he wouldn't rest until he had fulfilled it. If there was anything he thought of doing in the back of his mind, he would do it. He was a pilot and used to fly my grandma and dad to their ranch in Sun Valley, Idaho. He flew that plane so well that it looked like a bird flapping its wings in the sky. He carried on businesses such as an orchard business with his cousin, and a oil business in California. These were both started by his grandfather and great uncle, who also were the first ones to bring electricity to Santa Monica (maybe that's where Big B gets it from!). Big B also helped with the family Korbel Champagne company, started by his grandfather, Anton Korbel. He also made sure everything was in order (especially my dad). Even when he was struggling with cancer, he still made sure everything was right because that was just the person he was. The only task he didn't fulfill was beating cancer. He died at sixty-four, in a peaceful sleep.

Brave. If I could describe him with one word this is the one I would use. He was calm, cool and collected for the two years he had cancer. He was getting older, and couldn't do much during that time. But he fought anyway for my dad and grandma, so they wouldn't be worried about him. He stopped fighting because he didn't want them to go through things they didn't have to. He did it for them. That's why I think he is a hero. He didn't die for himself, he died for his family.

Lastly, Big B was funny. This isn't a very common trait of a hero, but a think it's an important one because it makes people enjoy being with you. Everyone he saw he made laugh. He said just the right things. I heard a story when my dad was riding on an ATV and crashed it into a tree. Once Big B found out, he said 'Robert (my dad)!! Stop breaking all my toys!!!' I don't think he meant to be funny, but it sounded pretty hilarious. Some heroes don't have a sense of humor, and I get that, but It's not a bad thing to have one. Humor was a big part in his personality, and that's why I included it.

Heroes. A hero is someone who is brave, selfless, courageous, kind, loving, driven, and funny. Big B has all of these traits and many more, but I chose to write about three. Driven, because he fulfilled every task. Brave, because he fought so hard to beat colon cancer. And funny, because it was such a big part of his personality. Big B isn't everyone's hero, but he's mine, and that's all that matters.