My Uncle Keith: From Human to Ashes and the Man I Once Knew

Author’s Note: My saddest memory contains some phrases that might make you cry so don’t be afraid to cry. This was the saddest and most recent part of one of my family members dying.

        When one of my family members die, my heart just drops. Recently, September 12, 2011, my uncle or my dad’s brother Keith Andes, just died of Hypertension in his heart. When I was on my way to piano lessons, we got a call from my dad’s sister saying that my uncle was dead. He died laying in his bed with a book in his hand with his eyes closed. I asked my parents what was wrong and my dad announced that his brother was dead. My aunt Kathy, the one that called, said that they were going to have a funeral in Arizona. Arizona is where my uncle lived and he had a beautiful home. After my family and I talked, my parents called and cancelled my piano lesson and went to go see my dad’s mom. I went inside the house and my sister Angela asked, “Why aren’t you guys at piano?” When I told her that my dad’s brother died, she was astounded by tone of voice and that it happened unexpectedly. My uncle Keith was very healthy, he had nothing wrong with him and we still can’t find out how he got hypertension in his heart. If you don’t know what hypertension is in the heart, it is chronically elevated blood pressure. To find out what hypertension in the heart is go to http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/162449-overview. This was the most saddest part of my life because I never really knew him. I remember him but only with images. I got really sad and my dad was a tough cookie because the most saddest part was that it was his littlest brother. That is when my heart really sank. I would be devastated if my sister died because I can’t do anything without her.
    Later on, sometime in September, my parents and about half of my dad’s side of the family went to Arizona for my uncle’s funeral. They were gone for about 4 days and my sister and I stayed at my Grandma’s. When my parents got back I asked them if my mom or my dad cried and my mom said, “Yeah we both cried and your dad did a little bit.” I felt so bad and I went up and hugged my dad. He felt better feeling my warm hug. I was about to burst into tears to because my Uncle Keith was only 40. He was really young and now I will never be able to really meet him. I would love to meet with him 1 more time.
    Just recently, my dad’s mom called and said that she wanted some of my Uncle’s ashes. When some people burned his body, a man asked if anyone wanted some of his ashes. No one volunteered until December 1st, 2011 or some where around there. Having your little brothers ashes would be a memory to me of the man that I once knew and now lost.