35 Best Funeral Poems for Your Grandfather (Papa, Grandad…)

If you’ve just recently lost your grandfather, there is most likely a multitude of emotions through which you are currently navigating.

There’s the initial pain of his loss, the nostalgia of thinking back over your time spent together, the emptiness of his absence at family gatherings and celebrations, and the sweetness of memories—of his laugh, his ridiculously good stories, his silly antics… 

Just to name a few.

During this time you may find yourself looking for comfort literature. Something that reminds you of his strength, perseverance, and love.

You might be looking for a passage to use for his epitaph or to be read at his memorial service. Something that encapsulates who he was as an individual, or represents his beliefs and outlook on life.

You may not even know what you’re looking for here. And that’s okay! But we’re happy to tell you that you can find a bit of comfort, a bit of joy, and even a bit of peace within the passages below.

Poetry has been used for thousands of years as a means of healing, celebration, processing the emotions, and comfort.

It can touch the heart and soothe the soul, quiet the mind and calm anxious nerves, and bring peace to the reader or listener.

Today, we hope this compilation of funeral poems for Grandad can help you during this potentially new and unfamiliar season of life.  

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Most Popular Funeral Poems for Your Grandfather

These are some of the most loved and time-honored passages and funeral poems for a wonderful Grandad. 

Some are short, sweet, and packed with loving sentiment. Others are longer and pay homage to his promised life in eternity. 

Beautiful, reverent, and full of love—that’s what this selection of memorial poems is.

1. Forever Remembered

Forever remembered, forever loved,
A grandfather whose heart now rests above.
In our memories, your spirit thrives,
A beacon of love that never dies.

Anonymous

2. Death is Nothing At All

All is well.

Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Henry Scott-Holland

3. Don’t Think of Me

Don’t think of me as gone away
My journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets
This earth is but one

Just think of me as resting
From the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days and years

Think of how I must be wishing
That you could know today
How nothing but your sadness
Can really go away

And think of me as living
In the hearts of those I touched
For nothing loved is ever lost
And I know I was loved so much

Anonymous

4. John 14:1-3

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

5. In Heavenly Love Abiding

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear.
And safe in such confiding, for nothing changes here.

The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back.
My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack.

His wisdom is ever waking, His sight is never dim.
He knows the way He’s taking, and I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen.
Bright skies will soon be over me, where darkest clouds have been.

My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free.
My Savior has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

Anna Waring

6. If Tears Could Build a Stairway

If tears could build a stairway,
and memories a lane,
I’d walk right up to Heaven
and bring you home again.

No farewell words were spoken
no time to say goodbye
you were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.

My heart still aches in sadness
and secret tears still flow,
what it meant to lose you,
no one will ever know.

Anonymous

7. Away

I cannot say and I will not say
That he is dead, he is just away.

With a cheery smile and a wave of hand
He has wandered into an unknown land;
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since he lingers there.

And you-oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and the glad return –
Think of his faring on, as dear
In the love of there, as the love of here

Think of him still the same way, I say;
He is not dead, he is just away.

James Whitcomb Riley

8. God’s Garden

God looked around his garden
And found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful,
He work is always best.

Anonymous

9. Romans 5:7-9

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Related: Best Funeral Scriptures

10. As I Look Up To The Skies Above

Another day has come again,
As time moves surely on—
But nothing now seems quite the same,
To know that he is gone.

The days and weeks and months ahead
Will never be the same—
Because a treasure beyond words
Can never be replaced.

The loss cannot be measured now,
The void cannot be filled—
And though someday the grief may fade,
His mark will live on still.

For even with my heavy heart,
I know that I’ve been blessed
To have been one whose life he touched
With warmth so infinite.

Anonymous

Funeral Poems That Celebrate Happy Memories with Your Grandpa

Were you and your grandfather more than just good friends? Perhaps partners in crime or Grandma’s biggest headache? 

Was he an especially good listener? The one with whom you could share your deepest secrets and aspirations? 

If your memories with your Grandfather remain sweet and steadfast, then any one of the following passages would be a fitting choice.

Or perhaps you simply wish to focus on the happy and good times you spent together, rather than dwell on the rocky periods of your relationship. 

Whatever the scenario, we love these uplifting memorial poems. 

11. A Man of Great Worth

A man of great worth, he has passed away,
A man who was loved by all, each and every day.

He will be missed by many,
But his memory will live on, like a mighty tree,
With branches that stretch far and wide,
And roots that reach deep into the ground,
Where his love and kindness will always be found.

Anonym​​ous

12. Epitaph on a Friend

An honest man here lies at rest,
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d;
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

Robert Burns 

13. Grandfather Kept a Garden

A garden of the heart;
He planted all the good things,
That gave our lives their start.

He turned us to the sunshine,
And encouraged us to dream:
Fostering and nurturing the seeds of self-esteem.

And then the winds and rain came,
He protected us enough;
But not too much because he knew
We would stand up strong and tough.

His constant good example,
Always taught us right from wrong;
Markers for our pathway that
Will last a lifetime long.

We are our Grandfather’s garden,
We are his legacy.

Thank you Grandfather, we love you.

Anonymous

14. I Fall Asleep

I fall asleep in the full and certain hope
That my slumber shall not be broken;
And that though I be all-forgetting,
Yet shall I not be forgotten,
But continue that life in the thoughts and deeds
Of those I loved.

Samuel Butler

15. In Loving Memory

In loving memory, we gather here,
To honor a man we held so dear.

Grandfather, your love will forever reside,
In our hearts, where you’ll never subside.

Your guiding hand led us through life,
Through joys and sorrows, triumph and strife.

A pillar of strength, a beacon of light,
Your presence, forever shining bright.

As we bid farewell, tears may flow,
But your spirit will stay, that we know.

Rest peacefully now, our dear grand friend,
In our memories, your love will transcend.

Anonymous

16. Grampa

We’ll always remember
that special smile,
that caring heart,
that warm embrace,
you always gave us.

You being there
for Grandma and us
through good and bad times,
no matter what.

We’ll always remember
you Grampa because
there’ll never be another one
to replace you in our hearts,
and the love we will always
have for you.

Anonymous

17. Remember 

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land:
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti

18. Farewell

Farewell to Thee! But not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of Thee;
Within my heart they still shall dwell
And they shall cheer and comfort me.

Life seems more sweet that Thou didst live
And men more true Thou wert one;
Nothing is lost that Thou didst give,
Nothing destroyed that Thou hast done.

Anne Bronte

19. Afterglow

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.

Anonymous

20. The Gentle Soul 

A gentle soul, now at rest,
A grandfather, simply the best.
Your love embraced us, kept us strong,
Now, in our hearts, you belong.

Anonymous

Best Short Poems for Your Papa’s Funeral

These passages would be perfect for the memorial programs at the funeral service, to inscribe on a photo frame, or would even make excellent inscriptions for an epitaph because of their length.

Though they are shorter, they are no less impactful or meaningful. Small but mighty funeral poems for grandad, you might say.  

21. Grandad

Grandad,

We know you can no longer stay with us,
you fought long and hard to be with us.

We know you now watch over and protect us.

Although we cannot hear your voice or see your smiling face,
We know deep down in our hearts that you have not left us.

Fiona Bourke

22. He is Not Lost

He is not lost our dearest love,
Nor has he traveled far,
Just stepped inside home’s loveliest room
And left the door ajar.

Anonymous

23. Until We Meet

Until we meet on distant shores,
Grandfather, your spirit soars.
Though we part, our souls are entwined,
In eternity’s embrace, forever aligned.

Anonymous

24. I Fall Asleep

I fall asleep in the full and certain hope
|That my slumber shall not be broken;
And that though I be all-forgetting,
Yet shall I not be forgotten,
But continue that life in the thoughts and deeds
of those I loved.

Samuel Butler

25. Silent Whispers

Whispers in silence, a final goodbye,
Grandfather, in our hearts, you’ll never die.
Though you’re no longer by our side,
In our memories, you’ll forever reside.

Anonymous

26. The Darker the Night

The darker the night,
The brighter the stars,
The deeper the grief,
The closer is God.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Related: Best Poems for Funeral Programs

27. Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

28. Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.

Henry Scott-Holland

29. Warm Summer Sun

Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.

Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.

Mark Twain

30. Everything Passes and Vanishes

Everything passes and vanishes;
Everything leaves its trace;
And often you see in a footstep
What you could not see in a face.

William Allingham

More Poems in Memory of a Wonderful Grandfather

We especially love these remembrance poems. For their elegance, their heart, and the special way they honor Grandfather’s life.

In certain respects, he may have just been an ordinary man. He had his flaws, weaknesses, and rough edges.

But in other ways he was unlike anyone else in the world, perhaps with a heart of gold and an infectious laugh that touched all around him. 

Some of the following funeral poems for grandad, written as if from his perspective, are particularly comforting to those left behind. While others, such as Georgia Harkness’s To My Father, focus on his legacy.

31. Death (If I Should Go)

If I should die before the rest of you,
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone.
Nor, when I’m gone, speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must, parting is hell.
But life goes on, so sing as well.

Joyce Grenfell

32. A Butterfly Lights Beside

A butterfly lights beside us, like a sunbeam …
and for a brief moment, its glory
and beauty belong to our world…
but then it flies on again, and although
we wish it could have stayed,
we are so thankful to have seen it at all.

Anonymous

33. Immortality

Do not stand by my grave, and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep—

I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle, autumn rain.

As you awake with morning’s hush,
I am the swift, up-flinging rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the day transcending night.

Do not stand by my grave, and cry—
I am not there, I did not die.

Clare Harner

34. To My Father 

A giant pine, magnificent and old
Stood staunch against the sky and all around
Shed beauty, grace and power.
Within its fold birds safely reared their young.

The velvet ground beneath was gentle,
and the cooling shade gave cheer to passers by.
Its towering arms a landmark stood, erect and unafraid,
As if to say, “Fear naught from life’s alarms.”

It fell one day.

Where it had dauntless stood was loneliness and void.
But men who passed paid tribute – and said,

“To know this life was good,
It left its mark on me. Its work stands fast.”

And so it lives. Such life no bonds can hold –
This giant pine, magnificent and old.

Georgia Harkness

35. Intimations of Immortality

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.

William Wordsworth

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