Dear friends

I left Joe Granmaison this morning sleeping peacefully. I gave him separate greetings from each of you, last night and today. I read the messages you wrote to him.

He squeezed my hand last night and fluttered his eyes both then and this morning. The nurse told me that is how he communicates now.

I shed a lot of tears with our friend, including last night with a delightful nurse aide who told me stories of how Joe charmed everyone there. She loved hearing stories about his history and his friends.

Joe’s desk was covered with cards and notes from friends; his bookshelves were full of photos of Joe with nephews, nieces, and their little kids.

Below is a photo from his room shaking hands with a former McGovern phone bank organizer in Texas, and photos contributed by Diana Mara Henry and Stuart Bratesman.

Driving back to the Manchester airport, I swung by some of our old stomping grounds: (1) the Carpenter Hotel where a two room suite on the fifth floor was the McGovern HQ in the summer and early fall of 1971, (2) the second floor apartment on Dow Street that Joe and I shared with the late John McKean until March 1972 (with Steve Robbins on the floor for the last couple of weeks); and (3) the old AAA office on Queen City Avenue on the south end of town that was our primary campaign HQ, now the Local Moose Cafe. I did not go by the Howard Johnson’s (now Comfort Inn) where McGovern and the traveling party stayed, and where the election night celebration was held. (And which I almost burned down cleaning up the empties and the ashtrays in the press room one night).

I remember the Durkin for Senate Manchester HQ was in a hotel too. Some of us were with Joe and Cary there on a different winning election night in 1975.

Joe’s younger brother Phil emailed that he is arriving from the West Coast tomorrow.