Then she asked about fish. His co-worker and friend, Dennis, remembers how Ralph endeared himself to his co-workers because he would arrive at work an hour to an hour and a half early every morning. Just take a look again at his opening lines and tell me what he … Music befriended him. Coby's death, 8 years ago - further diminished him. Then his shoulder was badly hurt on the job during a fight with prisoners; and he had to quite his job, so as not to risk hurting his shoulder again. Young David was naughty indeed, at church we would pull the buttons off his jacket for his offertory plate and use the "coins" to play pool with his mates. These are transcripts of actual eulogies performed by celebrants, not by people who loved the decedent. In his youth, he learned how to work hard and demonstrated self-discipline by raising horses all on his own, working jobs and bartering to get them. The brothers would have to attend the Dutch Reform Church 3 times a day if they were naughty. Suzie remembers playing in the yard. The Master Gardener knew this selected apprentice was the best for the job to care and nurture for His precious flowers. Molly did get a little excited while urging her to get back in the right lane, but that didn’t deter her from going out with Meghan on the next lesson. It turned out that I inherited his logical/creative dichotomy. Wonderment a dream fulfillment, god’s miracle a boy. To his little brother Don, Mike was always there for him. His mother-in-law Mary, whom he affectionately called Maude, says he was the best son-in-law, and they had a wonderful relationship. Linda remembers how Ralph struggled with English and she helped him. On behalf of Ben, Adrienne and Joshua I welcome every one of you to this celebration of the life of Lucas W____ better known to most of as Luke or Lukey. If you’re here today, and I thank you for that, that means that he touched your life in some way or another. While my father’s life was cut much shorter than any of us would have liked, find comfort in those cherished memories. He loved us, his children, whether we succeeded or failed in our endeavors. Suzie and her husband Michael remember the time they made fresh hot pepper powder for Ralph – they baked and ground the pepper, it was so strong they had to come back an hour later wearing masks to finish the job. He had two sisters, Marg and Bonnie, and a brother, Jerry. You see, he was in his quiet, unemotional way - proud of all of you. The guys never let him live that down. Truly fantastic. Before that, however, in the moment when his soul left his body, which is merely a vessel, I did not feel the universe change. He loved John Wayne, and had a whole collection of his movies on VHS – it was a running joke that he was probably the only person in town who still had VHS tapes and watched them. Eulogy for a child who died at age 4. To his sister Sue, Mike was her lion. Below is the eulogy I delivered at his funeral. In his leisure time Ralph could be found working on a building project, playing with his grandchildren, or curled up on his favorite green leather chair under his favorite afghan, watching John Wayne movies. However, I know that it will never be over; the grief will change over time and be about Luke’s life not death. My girlfriend quickly became part of the family. But his spirit is still with us, in here (point to head) and in here (point to heart). He so loved waking up each day to see how far the amaryllis had grown. The Master Gardener took great care and consideration in selecting the apprentice that would be working with him and all of His wonderful blooms throughout His garden. Integrity. Recently, she wanted to install double-pane windows. My father could be a difficult man to read and open up to new people; so at first, she was timid around him. He was committed to making her HAPPY. If they were playing basketball or in a school play, she was there. My father died recently. In the Fall, the maple trees on their property would shed tons of leaves. Meghan and Colter remember their mother as beautiful both inside and out. In 1976 Ralph and Linda moved back to Michigan, where he still had difficulty finding a job. As I finish I want to share one vision that I have had in my mind these past few days that has given me much comfort…..as Luke lay in his hospital bed preparing to depart from this world, I could hear Luke say to God, "Can I come over?’ and then God reaching out to Lucas saying, "Yes, precious Lucas, please come play and bloom in my garden. Each day he watered and fertilized each plant ever so carefully and gently. It became his dream to live there permanently one day and work in the Juno police force. Eulogy for a man who died at age 80 from suicide. As we stepped out into the lovely garden that Loyla created years before, now in full bloom on an early summers day ~ strangely, the burst of pinks and oranges would pale in comparison to David's expression and celebration of nature. Luke conveyed more joy, contentment and hope than anything we could have imagined possible. He loved being outside and would just wait for other kids to play with. She was also an excellent Scrabble player and taught her kids the game. Hard work. When they come to the house to visit the kids would always be busy playing chase the poopie monster or being an animal of some sort.I will miss him wearing his boots, or his crocs on the wrong foot. She was a nervous traveler, but her kids – who had more experience in this arena than she – were able to calm and reassure her. Because of her lovely voice, she was enlisted to sing at many of the family weddings. The cancer claimed him seventeen days after diagnosis. Eric said, "He was amazed how this family kept it together, how they dealt with there emotions with humor. Well, the dog jumped up and bit Rob, and Grandma sped them right over to St. Joe’s for stitches. But, Luke was so much more than his fragile body conveyed. They were happily married for 32 years, and during his last days, his only concern was for Mom’s well being, and not his own impending mortality. Even I poke fun a bit—always with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, of course—because I know our myriad soft skills such as reading comprehension, analysis, empathy, and communication are the basis for all others. Adrienne said, "I would take him to the doctor and he would put on an act, somehow pass all the neurological test. We would stand at the door of Lucas' room and hang onto each other's shoulders, waving bye to Adie, knowing that we were going to do just that.. One of my favorite and one of the tenderest moments though came when I was sitting Lucas up on the side of the bed, we were changing the bed, and he reached his right arm around and nuzzled into my shoulder. The apprentice could hardly sleep. Perhaps it was also his proud Scottish heritage shining through, an ancient lineage of great warriors singing in his blood. Thank you. From her days as a child in California, Molly carried with her a love of the ocean and many family vacations were spent near a beach so she could share this experience with her children. If it was important to her, it BECAME important to him. Their courtship continued and in February of 1975, Ralph proposed while on leave. Megan and Colter remember that their mom always kept her sense of humor – whether that meant being a good sport during April Fool’s jokes or biting her nails while teaching her kids to drive.