RIP Grandma Brey

I’ve made an unexpected return to Louisville due to the passing of my paternal grandmother, who was my last surviving grandparent. While she had lost some of her original spunk after a bout with lung cancer, she was still a free spirit that would tell it like it is and had the single trait that binds all of us Brey’s; she laughed quick and loud. When my grandfather died 20 years ago, I spent a lot of time with her, and was really close with her. She even ironed my shirts in high school, and you could always tell when I had done it myself. Here are some things that will always make me think of my Grandma:1. Hubba Bubba and Star Crunch: Grandma always had Hubba Bubba bubble gum whenever we visited. I chewed so much, that I had something like 4 cavities in my baby teeth. To the point that my Mom restricted me to sugarfree gum (except of course when Grandma would sneak me some Hubba Bubba). Star Crunch was a weird Little Debbie snack consisting of chocolate and rice crispies and maybe caramel. I have never actually bought a box, but would always have one when I was at Grandma’s house.
2. Old Milwaukee: It’s funny to hear other friends talk about their grandparents in high school, and I always had stories about how my grandma had closed a bar with my aunt. When we visited her at home, she was rarely without her Old Milwaukee. 3. Bingo: When I was in high school, one of the ways that I made money was by working at my high school’s weekly Bingo. My Grandma would go, get some Bingo sheets, her beer, her cigarettes, and play Bingo and Pulltabs all night. When she won, it was a great night for me. All I had to do is inhale second hand smoke for 3 hours every other week and keep the tables clean.

4. Angelo’s Pizza: This longtime establishment on Berry Blvd (next to the Foxy Lady) was the place where we’d get takeout pizza when we went to Grandma’s house. This was in the days before pizza boxes, so they would place the pizzas on pieces of cardboard and mushroom a piece of paper sheeting over it, so not to touch it, but it would make it impossible to stack pizzas. They also had a sitdown, 2player Galaga game and a standup Ms Pacman to play while you waited or for the occasional time that we dined at the restaurant.
5. Fisher Price Stack and Rock Baseball: Now I’m not aware of anyone else playing this game, but my brothers and I ended up using the donuts and an old wooden stick-bat for playing baseball in the back yard. I guess the mound was too close to home plate, because I now think that would be really hard with the wicked curves you could throw with those things. There was also a tree in her back yard that was perfect for climbing.

6. Boston Terriers: In the picture above, she is with her Boston terrier, Boomer. And it was the most hyper and ornery thing you’ve ever met in your life, but she just loved that dog. She once was asked about the intelligence of the grandchildren and said “Well Eric’s the smartest, then there’s Boomer, and then there’s the rest.” Eric will never let us forget it.

So that’s about all I’m going to write on my Grandmother at this time. She was a great person, and she loved and was loved dearly.

ADDENDUM: Everyone started passing around pictures and I found this one and thought it was hysterical. It’s my Grandma and Grandpa, and it just goes to show the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…