Art.

Original posted in 2021. Updated August, 26, 2026.

My grandfathers’s birthday would have been today. We used to celebrate our birthdays together, and each year there is a hole in me at this time of year. We blew out many candles together and when some of our big birthdays collided we had even bigger cakes with both of our names on them, and had bigger celebrations.

Throughout his life he was known as "Arthur" or “Art” but his birth name was actually "Archibald" which was chosen not by his parents but by an aunt who liked it better and had the hospital change it unbeknownst to them. He didn't know about this until he signed up for the Merchant Marines and needed his birth certificate. He was 17. This sepia toned photo is from his Seaman's Certificate.

He toured Europe and was stationed in Germany in 1929. As a Greenblatt, with that name embroidered on his uniform, he found himself smack dab in the middle of the rise of the Nazi's. He had to snuff out his cigarettes and hide with his back turned in shadowy doorways as the evil marched down the streets.

This man was and is one of my heroes. One of the smartest people I have ever known, he was educated as an engineer at MIT, he spent time working in a goldmine in Alaska, and was a world expert on antique and modern paperweights and coin silver. He was also a metalsmith who made giant flowers and vines and sometimes sterling jewelry for me and my grandmother, and he treated that very difficult woman like a queen. I learned a lot by watching my fellow Virgo birthday double work at his bench. His mantra of “Keep it clean” still bellows through my head when I’m being lazy and not taking the extra step needed for solder to flow. (I do not have the Virgo trait of being neat and tidy).

When I bought my first house he took me shopping for kitchen things. Just he and I wandering through top of the line kitchen supply shops. He wanted to stock my kitchen with the best equipment we could could find. Another mantra of his when it came to tools - “Buy the best you can afford, then you won’t have to buy it twice”. He threw all kinds of stuff into the cart. Stuff I didn’t even know I needed; eg: a cover to keep things from splattering in the microwave (that was the Virgo thing again). I still have a big fat hamburger spatula that he picked out. And a giant pair of tongs that he forged himself. I still have that anti-splatter cover for the microwave too.

He was an incredibly kind man, with a big heart, empathy for everyone, and the single most encouraging person for me personally when it came to being an artist. He always pushed me to do more, make more, do the next thing. Even in the hospital in his last days as he was examining my artwork with his failing eyes and a magnifying glass, he studied the date on the signature and with a wistful smile he asked what had I done lately.

He lived just past his 90th birthday, when I learned I was pregnant with Aurora. I was able to tell him, teary eyed that he would be a great grandpa. Sadly he didn't live to meet her, as they would have been best pals. My husband often talks about how he wished he had more time with him. Learning from him. Knowing him. For me, even though it has been 25 years since he walked on into the ether I still sometimes reflexively reach for my phone to call him when I am in need of expert advice at my bench or just in general. It always stings when the reality sits in. I firmly believe that some souls are entwined, and if so certainly, he and I were and are as such. He would scoff at this talk, but I still feel it.

I miss him today. I miss him every day. He was one of my soulmates. Love you grandpa. And thank you. For everything. I have so many more questions for you that will go unanswered.