POPs Irdie Pith, I.L., Irvin Leonard, Pops, husband, uncle, brother, cousin, #1 person, and I could go on. Who in this life can represent so many things on so many levels and do it in such a dynamic way that he impacted everyone he came across...My pops has made me understand the true meaning of friendship and family. Grams and pops also taught me how to love and care. They told me they love me to pieces and then they would pick up the pieces and squeeze those pieces to pieces and love those pieces. Even though pops had ALL of those pieces to hold onto he always welcomed and made room for more people in his life that he would love the same way. Pops grew up as a foster child. A foster child with many challenges and excuses to be less than average. I feel like he took this as a challenge to live his life with the utmost INTENT to be extraordinary whether he realized it at young age or not. He lived every day waking up as the happiest man in the world. He would tell you it's because he got to wake up to Grams. My pops has always been my hero and the light of my life. He has encouraged me in every aspect and cheered me on. Some people never understood why I was so happy with his words of encouragement when he said Camille you're smarter then the average bear, or You're not as dumb as you look. Even when things were rough he would tell me well it's better then a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. He always made me feel like the most important person in the world. My Pops was my best friend and whenever possible I was at his side. Being at his side meant I was safe, I was learning something new, I was learning how to care for someone else, I was learning how to be a better person. It also meant I was playing in the woods, driving on random roads for hours where he swore we were never lost on, saying we aren't lost I just don't know where I am right now. He was teaching me to use a chainsaw at a young age and always telling Grams we were OK! Pops taught me life skills. Grams, Pops and I always said I'm on your right and you're on my left and we're SIDE BY SIDE. We said this whether I was across the country or actually side by side so I'm sure we confused people and sounded crazy but Pops never cared. Another thing Pops was known for was his integrity. Many people have examples of this but one that sticks out to me is when my older brother had show and tell at school. Pops took us on adventures to climb around construction sites quite often this time him and Bailey found very valuable Roman money. Bailey of course took his valuable money to school show and tell. Our parents got a phone call later that day from the teacher who explained to them that Bailey had brought metal construction washers and when the teacher tried to tell him thats all it was he immediately got angry and said MY POPS told me that's what it was so it must be true. From a young age if Pops said it then it had to be true. When I needed direction I always called Pops. He immediately told me he would knock a knot on my head as big as a goose egg if I didn't listen to him, or if I didn't stop messing up his hair. I've always just trusted my Pops, whether it was about someones character, or him telling me it would all be ok. I know that's what he is telling all of us now, and I really want to trust him. Pops always made everyone around him feel like they were his #1. My Grams his Love and life partner was his world. Georgia Ann Conn... I LOVE YOU we usually imitated him in unison as he said this... well GEORGIA ANN we all love you and know how you also were his world and can only hope to help you figure out how to continue on... Pops will always be remembered and continue to live in our hearts and shape our lives everyday. LOVE YOU POPS! Your First Granddaughter