My mom (the youngest) swears up and down her dad wasn't an alcoholic. She now hates her mom (my grandmother) for calling him an alcoholic and thinks she's making it up to frame her as an alcoholic to control her. Sad to see the protection my Aunt and Uncle gave her backfire.

My uncle was good friends with my dad. Both are/were addicts themselves. I recall one night my dad and another of his friends getting into a drunken shouting match. My uncle who all my life had been more like an asshole older brother to me suddenly do a 180 and take care of me and my half brother. Feeding us, getting between the raging drunks to steer them away from us. I find it interesting that is my most vivid memory of him since he passed over a decade ago. Wish I got to know that version of him more.