Goodbye, Dad.
October 25th, 2006 by 
gddik
Tough week just gone - my dear old Dad died last Monday, 16th. October, and his funeral was yesterday. Still, he got to 80, and died as I think he would have wanted to - at home and quickly - no fuss, no bother. There one minute and gone the next. That will do for me, when my time eventually comes.
His funeral was a simple affair, with a humanist minister. No religious mumbo-jumbo - just a nice summing up of his life by the minister, and a few more intimate words from me (he was not a religious man, so to suddenly get all pious seemed a little hypocritical). Plenty of friends and family there to say their goodbyes, and a bit of a do at a hotel afterwards, where everybody shared their memories of him, with a laugh and a joke. Again, as he would have wanted it himself.
We managed to raise £436 for Leukaemia Research, instead of lining florists’ pockets, too. He’d have been pleased with that, as Leukaemia played a huge part in our family’s lives only a little more than a year ago (still is in a way, although the spectre has been lifted).
My Mum is going to find it hard, I think, to adjust at 83 to being alone after 55 years of marriage. My Dad was extremely devoted to her, so she’ll really miss him, but she’s an independent old so-and-so; I’m sure she’ll cope, and there’s lots of support from family and friends. If only she’d stop smoking…
So, goodbye, Dad. It’ll be strange not hearing your voice when I ring home, but I’ll be able to hear it in my memories (all good) of you. Thanks for all you did for me, and for being my Dad, and my mate. It was a privilege to be your son.
Posted in Stream of Semi-Consciousness | 
2 Comments »
