Sympathy Gift Ideas for the Loss of a Grandfather

A grandfather usually leaves behind things that were built to last: a watch, a toolbox, a shelf of old stories. A good sympathy gift for the loss of a grandfather helps the family keep those things alive instead of boxed up in the garage. The 11 ideas below are for his grandchildren, his children and the wife he leaves behind. Our honest top pick is having his watch serviced and passed on, because it will keep ticking long after the flowers are gone.

Hear a song a family made for someone they lost

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry his name and your stories.

11 sympathy gift ideas for the loss of a grandfather

1. His watch, serviced and passed on. A watchmaker can clean it, fit a new strap and engrave his initials on the back. Usually $100 to $300.
2. A tool from his bench for each grandchild. His hammer, his level, his favorite screwdriver, each engraved with his name. Engraving is usually $20 to $40 a piece.
3. A shadow box for his service. If he served, a frame for his medals, patches and the folded flag. Usually $80 to $250.
4. A song about him. Share the name the grandchildren called him, the truck he drove for thirty years and the joke he told every Thanksgiving, and Songbond turns it into an original song ($39.90).
5. His collection, shared out. Coins, stamps, baseball cards, fishing flies. Frame a few of the best for each grandchild, usually $60 to $150 each.
6. An evening of his stories. Host a dinner where everyone tells one story about him, and record it on a phone. Give the recording to his wife. It costs one dinner.
7. Cards and stamps for his widow. After a funeral there are dozens of thank-you notes to write. A box of cards, a roll of stamps and a good pen, usually $30 to $60, saves her a trip into town.
8. The front page from the day he was born. A reprint of the newspaper from his birth date, framed. Usually $30 to $60.
9. Lessons in the thing he taught. If he taught a grandchild to fish, whittle or fix an engine, pay for a class that carries it on. Usually $50 to $150.
10. A donation to his club. The lodge, the fire company, the veterans' post or the church breakfast he never missed, given in his name.
11. His pocket candy at the service. The butterscotch or peppermints he always had in his coat. A bowl by the door lets everyone take one on the way in. A few dollars.

How to choose for his family

Ask what he did with his hands. Most grandfathers are remembered for something they made, fixed or taught, and the best gifts pick that thread back up.

• If he was a maker: a tool for each grandchild or the lessons in his craft.
• If he was a storyteller: the evening of stories or the song.
• If he served: the shadow box and a donation to his post.

Sharing his things across the family

After a grandfather dies, the hard question is often who gets what. A few simple rules keep the peace. Take photos of everything first, so nothing disappears unseen. Let his widow choose first, then his children, then the grandchildren, taking turns. Split the big things: a stack of flannel shirts can become three pillows, and a toolbox can become one tool each. And write the story behind each item on a paper tag, because in twenty years the story is what makes it worth keeping.

A song in his memory

Make a memorial song for grandpa. Tell us his name and the stories the family repeats, and it is ready within 24 hours. If the funeral is close, express delivery gets it to you in about an hour.

Also in the Journal: memorial songs for grandpa's funeral and songs for a celebration of life.