Re: RIP Dad

Caro Laithwaite VN — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:37:09 GMT

It was Dad's funeral today and went ok the funeral people were very good. I said a few words during the funeral about my dad and am putting them here in his memory.

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Dad was born in Johannesburg South Africa on 4th November 1917. I had a look to see what else was going on there then. To be honest not too much, gold mining and some horse racing was about all apart from the sun and African bush and sounds. I guess it was that quietness that dad inherited that turned him into the quiet gentleman he always was.

He served in the Engineers Battalion in the Middle East during WW2, and never spoke about it much but did mention the time that they stayed in a hut in a village. They found out that they had been given it as it was invaded by fleas, they itched for weeks afterwards.

Dad almost never lost his cool, when he did there could be problems as he just wasn’t suited to it. Like the time driving round Rhodes Matopas national park l was about 9 years old and had been moaning about my ice cream cone not tasting nice.
Driven to distraction he grabbed it and slung it out the window…. Well that was the idea but the window was still up. It took some time for him to live that one down, l guess he never did because l still chuckle thinking about it.

Dad designed the house in Bulawayo that l grew up in and will always consider home. He took a big pride in his work as a quantity surveyor and he would listen to all the over runs by millions of £/$ on modern projects and shake his head muttering… “If l was even a few $/£ over l would be shot”

Another time he and the neighbour poured petrol down all the holes on the neighbours property to burn out the huge cobra that chased the gardener every time he tried to cut the lawn. Luckily they did not blow the neighbourhood up when it all went up with a huge WHUMP! The poor cobra was never seen again.

Dad loved reading and enjoyed watching cricket and tennis and playing bowls at the local Bulawayo bowling club and especially liked his walks with our dogs around the upper hillside dams, next to our house in Bulawayo. Thankfully he avoided football.

Health wise in his later years dad was dealt a bad hand but no matter what he kept going, never moaning just quietly accepting. When asked how he kept going he said “God gave me life and l intend to make the most of it”. Thanks to Mums hard work and caring he was able to do just that until the end when keeping going was no longer an option.

Dad is at peace now with family, friends and pets that have gone before and his spirit will be back to striding with the dogs around the Hillside Dams that he loved so much. I would like to say a short personal prayer l wrote a few years ago and was read at Dads sister my Aunt Audrey’s service.

May

May the feet that stumble

Be placed back on the level

May the eyes that cry

Be wiped and helped to smile

May the body or mind, hurt or fearing

Be healed and calmed

May those lost upon life’s path

Be guided to safely by your clear bright light

May happiness, peace and prosperity

Find a place within us all

Re: RIP Dad

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:36:41 GMT

Many thanks for all your kind messages sent in PM sorry l locked the post just wanted to keep it as was hope you understand. I am still floating around to have a read and unwind a bit at times.

Caro