A sad day.

[Ramjet]

This time one year ago we were sitting in a hospital sharing our last hours with my dad. He passed away in the early hours of the 27th 2017. This evening my mum, my 3 brothers, my sister with my eldest son and myself went to the cemetery to spend a few hours with dad. We had a couple of drinks of Dad's favourite tipple and shared memories together. It was good to share special stories about our dad. He was a strong, hard working man with much humour.

I just wanted to share with my PA family. The video below is the slideshow played at his funeral. Unfortunately YouTube censored the music for copyright reasons. I have included the song below. It feels much better with the music. If you click both videos in quick succession you can get an almost perfect rendering of how it was.

I have watched it many times over the last 12 months shedding many tears. Sad times but also many, many great memories shared.

[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/EWiBpZGBYMc[/video]

[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/TTA2buWlNyM[/video]

 

[stoyve]

Sorry to hear about your loss Ramjet,
I lost my dad 5 1/2 years ago and its still raw.
And I just heard half an hour ago that a good old freind of mine in Tassie passed away tonight :/ .
I always think of the best times mate.
All the best
Steve

 

[MegsyB007]

That's a really lovely tribute Ramjet, and loved the music to it - a perfect song.

As someone who put together the tribute for my sister's funeral, I know how hard that is to do, especially when the grief is so new and really hard to put something like that together while tears fill your eyes.

That first anniversary is especially a hard one, and all those firsts - first Christmas, first birthday without them etc. Being so close to Christmas too, I feel your grief and you have my heartfelt sympathy. But it was nice that you spent that time with him and your family for his anniversary, however hard it was, family being together at times like this is the most important thing, to support each other and share the burden of grief with others who understand what you're going through, and help each other through it.

All I can say, is that it does ease somewhat as the years go by. You'll always miss your lost loved ones, but the raw grief eases over time, and I can now talk about my sister with smiles and laughs at some of the great memories of her, whereas before it was all tears at the huge loss, so hang in there, mate.

Best wishes to you and your family.
Remember your PA 'family' is all here for you too, when you need to talk.

Regards,
Megsy

 

[limpalot]

Great tribute Ramjet, we did a similar thing for Julie; it is a very hard time the first Christmas. Our thoughts are with you and your family. We have just had a great couple of days with my boys and their familys too.
Cheers LL

 

[ctxkid]

i lost my Mum christmas 10yrs this year , never gets easier , thoughts are with you RJ

 

[reynard]

Very touching mate i lost my dad two years ago next week , you brought back a lot of memories. Thank you for sharing
Jim

 

[Jaros]

Very touching RJ. I don't try to think about my father as he wasn't a good person. I won't go into why.
Lovely presentation mate.
Jaros

 

[Mackka]

A truely beautiful presentation RJ, your Dad would have been very proud.
I lost my Dad 46 years ago and still think of him and miss him everyday.
Thanks for sharing with your PA family mate.
Love to all
Mackka
:flowers:

 

[LONEWOLF]

Mrs Wolf lost her whole Family in a space of 18 months 8yrs ago, and yes it still hurts... Especially at Christmas.... It was also the first Christmas, my Sister had after the loss of her soul mate of 45yrs.... :brokenh:

Christmas just isn't Christmas anymore.... :awful:

Best wishes to You and your Family RJ... The pain eases sort of but the Memories will never leave you.... A Beautiful send off and We shed a tear watching it.
As Mackka said, Your Dad would have been Proud.... 8.( :flowers:

LW....

 

[Skip]

Condolences Ramjet. Our thoughts are with you. I'm saddend by your loss.

 

[roy cobb]

Sorry for your loss RJ but thank you for the post as I watched your tribute to your dad I had a tears in my eyes as life is too short and we all miss the one that are not with us any more
Roy

 

[ProspectorPete]

My condolences RJ, it's a very hard time of year.
We lost my mum 2 years ago last Friday and it's makes celebrating Christmas very hard, very mixed emotions and it seems your pain is felt and shared by many here in a similar place. My thoughts go out to all of you.

 

[grumpygold]

all the best to you and your family rj cheers buddy :Y:

 

[Shock n awe prospecting]

My condolences RJ, I lost my mum 12months ago

 

[Chiron52]

Sorry Ramjet but I couldn't watch your tribute.
Over the last 3 weeks I lost 3 of my ex-service mates (one took his own life), then my godmother passed, followed on by a cousin and then on Boxing Day, my uncle (98yo) who was sharing a room in a local nursing home with my dad (94yo) passed away also.
I guess I will be remembering Xmas from now on for all the wrong reasons.
Anyhow mate, where ever he is now, I am sure your dad would be proud of you just the same. It seems like he was a great bloke. :Y:

 

[Mackka]

My condolences to you and yours Chiron.
Mackka :flowers: :flowers: :flowers: :flowers:

 

[reefer]

A truly touching tribute to your Father Ramjet.Thank you for sharing here with us. The love of your Family for each other is on show for all to see and reminds us all to 'remember when'.Chin up mate...and all the best for the future.

Dave...There are no adequate words for Robyn and myself to express our sorrow, for the loss of so many people in your life. Sometimes, life is so unfair to us. Thinking of you mate.

 

[RichterScale]

RichterScale

 

[Ramjet]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. My condolences to those who have lost a loved one or friend around Christmas time or recently.

I watched the video over and over and bawled my eyes out each time. Some of my brothers could not watch it for months after dad passed. I watched it with mum at the cemetery the other night.
Selecting the photos, picking the music and writing the eulogy with my brothers was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Each evening we would go down to dad's shed and work on it.

Spending many hours going through dad's shed brought back many memories and we shared stories. Being the oldest I knew more about the history of some of dad's tools, fishing gear etc. Some of it came from his father and grandfather. Dad wanted each of us to have certain items and we spent a lot of time working out a fair system so that we each got to keep some items significant to each of us. I am so glad we didn't argue at all.

A few pics. Dad's Memo books covering every shift he worked on the railway from the day he moved to Taree until he retired. These and all other railway items are now in my care to pass on to my boys. I also work in the rail industry.

Dad's carpenter's box from his early days. I really REALLY wanted this box but in our fair system of sharing it went to another brother. It was empty when we started going through the shed but as we found the tools I said, "this belongs in the box." Eventually we had almost all the original tools back in it. A great piece of family history.

Some of dad's hammer collection.

Everything was organised.

The last job Dad was doing in his shed. The never ending task of sorting screws etc into the right place.

 

[Ramjet]

The watch. Dad left me this beautiful watch that belonged to his grandfather. I am just the custodian until I pass it on to my son. It was won by my Great Grandfather for a shooting competition in Canbelego in 1912.

He worked there as a gold miner which is very interesting.