A small funeral on a hot day in September of a man in his 90s who had been one of the first to land in Normandy on D Day 6th June 1944. I spent a lovely couple of hours with his son talking about life and families. A memorable day.
He wrote:
A brief note to thank you very much for the service you conducted for my father at Exeter yesterday. We were a very small congregation, but your words and delivery made the event feel personal and special to all of us, and you balanced the inevitable sadness of the day with some real warmth and some amusing touches. We all felt that you struck absolutely the right note of respect and affection; my father was not an easy person to please, but one of his grandchildren said afterwards: “Even Grandpa would have been pleased with that.”
Personally I’d also like to thank you for the kindness and tact that you showed me when we talked about my father. It was a helpful part of the whole grieving process.
The nature of these events and the fact that we don’t have other family in the area means that our paths are unlikely to cross in future; but you made the day memorable for us, and we are grateful.
