James Findlay

What makes a man great? What makes him legendary? Looking good in a kilt might be enough for some, and as you can tell from the picture, my grandpa could rock a kilt. But he is so much more than that. He is an adventurer, a philosopher, an avid reader, a nature enthusiast, a dog lover (yet a cat hater), a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a friend. He’s a man of contradictions. He rides motorcycles, yet reads Chaucer (in middle English no less). He bowls and drinks beer, yet knows the Guggenheim and the Louvre like the wrinkles and spots on the back of his hand. He tells dirty (and I mean filthy) jokes, yet he speaks four languages (and can tell those jokes in them). He’s quiet and even reserved most of the time, but when he’s “on,” he can be boisterous and uproariously funny. His favorite movie of the last ten years is Anchorman, yet he is a faithful reader of The New Yorker. He has strong moral and religious beliefs, but the only thing he judges is people judging others (and yes, he gets the irony). He has a brilliant mind, but he has a way of always making people feel at home with his easy, relaxed conversation about almost any topic. He’s kind, compassionate, respectful, loving, and caring. And most of all, he is the type of father who, every time, without a doubt, has been there for his children, loving them and giving them everything a father should.