James Traficant had a personality that was larger than life and rarely did we hear from his wife or other family members.

His widow, Tish Traficant gave 21 News a different side to her late husband and a glimpse into their family life.

"We had a happy home. Very happy life. Very, very happy home life," said Tish.

She talks about her life with the man she met when she was 15 years old, who she was married nearly 47 years to. The Jim Traficant she knew was different from what the public saw.

"He was fun. He was quiet at home. Very, quiet at home. He had a great sense of humor. There was laughter always in our home. And we bantered back and forth all the time and would laugh about it."

Jim Traficant loved their two daughters and six grandchildren. 

Tish said they talked about growing old, "I said we're going to grow old together and he always said, 'No'. He was going to die young because his family did. And I said, 'Oh you're going to break the rules' and he said, 'Well if so, I want to go before you because I don't want to live without you."

Over the past two months since Jim's passing, Tish has received 300 letters that have comforted her in this time of grief.

"I've gotten tons of letters from people that he did things for that I never knew about cause he never talked about.. never did he say what he had done privately for anyone. But, now I'm reading them and it's nice.. nice to hear it."

And whatever negative things people might have said over the years, "It's irrelevant. It's irrelevant. I don't really care. It's not about me. It's about them and everybody's allowed to have an opinion."

Tish says she misses her husband everyday.

"Never left the house without a hug and kiss goodbye. Laughter.. I miss the laughter. I hope I get it back. The laughter's gone.. but time..time."

Something that has also comforted Tish Traficant at this time is the more than 100 people who have benefited from the organs Jim donated. Two weeks after he passed, two people got their sight. She said it makes her smile to know that.