Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I ran into a guy who has Somerville roots the other day who still has a flip phone. We were talking about social media and in particular Facebook and how you can get in trouble posting certain comments and photos. He mentioned that he only had a couple of pictures on his flip and one of them was his pride and joy …. his young grandson. He showed the photo as a smile came to both our faces. So, I started thinking about grandfathers.

A lot of guys my age are blessed by their children giving them grandkids. What a gift! Much better than a tie or a bottle of cologne! Even if you don’t have grandchildren of your own you can find joy by sharing the happiness of your friends, cousins and relative’s grandchildren. It’s one of life’s advantages of the aging process.

Top left, my dad, Ferdinando (Fred) and my grandparents Concetta and Giuseppe. Bottom left, my aunts Gilda, Gemma and Olga. My dad was scolded for wearing a pin in the photo. He was named after my great grandfather Ferdinando. Me and my brother were called “little Ferds” by our cruel fellow Boy Scouts when we were at camp. Dad came along as a no-nonsense counselor. Good times. Ma familia! Too bad my dad never got to enjoy his two grandsons, but I know he’s smiling down.

I’ve done stories where I’ve shared tales of my grandpa, so I’m dedicating this one solely to our grandfathers. It’s that important. My dad was called grandpa, just like we called his dad.

My Grandpa came to Somerville around 1915 and was the custodian at the old Bingham School. I’ve mentioned that before. Maybe you knew him? He passed in 1964. His name was Giuseppe but people called him Joe.

I decided to write this week’s story about Somerville grandfathers. I am pretty sure I mentioned the wall that they built in the backyard out of chunks of discarded concrete that made up the sidewalks of Davis Square or someplace around there (I’ve included a picture of it).

Grandfathers Is a good subject because a lot of guys my age are grandpas.

I had an “Aw, how sweet” moment about 15 or so years ago when I was an usher for a musical my sons were in with a community theater group. One of the cast member’s grandpa showed up with cane in hand to watch the show. I was very taken back when I saw the kid go up to him and say “Hello, Grandfather!” He then kissed him. Loved it.

I had another moment when I saw on Facebook recently that the grandfather had passed. But my frown shortly turned into a loving smile when I thought of how much the grandpa was loved and I was also happy that he got another 15 years of life.

Here’s a list of the various names our fellow Somervillens’ grandkids have for their grandfathers. This is always my favorite part of the column … audience participation. The response was overwhelming! These are your contributions. All reader’s comments are in quotations.

“My kids called my dad Papa Papa and we called ours’ gramps except one cousin he called him cramps. Couldn’t say that g when he was little.” off LLC

“Nonno for my Dad’s father.”

Grandma Concetta and Grandpa Giuseppe DelPonte.

“Grandpa. That’s what my 5 brothers and sisters, my 2 cousins on the first floor and all of the neighborhood kids in Teele Square called him. He was the best. Died at 96 on my 29th birthday. We lived in the the house he bought in the 1930’s. My 90-year-old Mum and Dad still live there… He was a great man. We had the best childhood!! Grandpa was the best.”

“Bumpa”

“Big Stan”

“Gumpy”

“Grumpy, Gramps and Pupup.”

“We were Greek so Papou was the word for Grandfather. Both my Papou’s lived a couple of streets away from my home in the neighborhood. My Papou Charlie owned a convenient store up the hill from the Healey School. Most school kids knew him way back then for their penny candy.”

“Bumpy”

I am Nana and my husband was Jiggy (he liked the song nananananananana getting jiggy with it.

“Grampsie or Gramps.”

“BeBa and Bampi.”

“My Dad, Eddie Abate was the best Papa to his grandchildren (I loved Eddie! Jimmy)

The wall I watched my grandpa and my dad build around 1962 out of chunks of broken up sidewalk from Davis Square.

“I love it when they call me PaPa!!!” (me too!)

“My grandfather on my father’s side was Papa, on my mother’s side he was Mimi.”

“We called my grandfather Dada.”

My kids always called my father Grandpa Papa, and my father-in-law.

“Gypsy Papa.”

“Our grandfather was Baba. We had Big Baba and Little Baba. They were the best. “

“My boys had a ‘Grumpy’”

“My Pappou was born and raised in Somerville. Lived his entire life there. I’m his only living descendant.”

“Called both Grandpa! Wonderful MEN!”

“My grandfather, my mom’s dad was called “Manki” the oldest couldn’t say Grampy, so the adults said it sounded like Manki! Always in my heart. My dad is Greek and he was Papou my nieces and nephews.”

“Papa Fuzz”

“Pepere”

“My kids have their Vavo (pronounced Vavu, Portuguese) and a Nonno (Italian grandfather). Hi Jimmy! I worked with you at Kiss a long time ago. I interned for Billy and grew up in Somerville so you and I used to talk all the time!” Hi Emily!

“Granfy”

“We had Gumpy (our grandfather) and Umpy (our kids grandpa)”

“Papa Nick “

“My day Leo F Sr. Was Grampy. And my name is Beeka”

“Papa Chip and Papa Frank”

“My Dad from West Somerville had four grandchildren, they each had their own name for him. By birth order, oldest to youngest grandchild called him – Gramps, Grampy, Papa and Grandpa. I loved that they each had their own.”

“Bampy”

“Ganda – because the oldest grandchild couldn’t say grandpa – so it stuck / even on to the next generation of grandfather is also called Ganda.”

As I prepare to see my fellow Somerville High School students at our 50th class reunion, I’m sure we will be talking about our grandkids and showing photos.