Funeral Eulogy
[On 21st April 2017 my friend of 25 years died after a long and complicated period of illness. She and I shared a friendship that I find hard to easily explain, but it is enough to say that she was very dear to me. Jane asked that I spoke at her Funeral (on 5th May) and at her Memorial Service (7th May).
I have published my eulogies in honour to my friend and for those who could not be in attendance… I miss you Jane.]
“Farewell to thee! but not farewell
To all my fondest thoughts of thee:
Within my heart they still shall dwell;
And they shall cheer and comfort me.â€
[Reference not spoken, just the quote (Anne Brontë)]
I have two talks to give about Jane this weekend and together they probably make a doughnut.
Even before Jane became desperately ill we had discussed funerals and in particular what would happen if one of us outlived the other.
It’s not that we were morbid or anything, okay maybe a little, we were goths after all.
We just discussed it as we knew by then that our friendship was going to last a lifetime, in many ways it already had.
I believe at the time we had always hoped it was in some far distant future when we were very old and could be disreputable and maybe spit in the street or swear fit to burst. We could have at least worn purple.
It is at this point that I should scan you all to make sure there are no sensitive ears, and as Leigh would say ‘apply a filter to my speech’, I can see there are small children so I can’t be too blue. Many of you know that Jane could use a profane word if required to make a point but she would not wish me to offend the young’.
‘Right Markie’, Jane said, ‘I want you to smile for me.’
‘And I want you to tell bad jokes. it is, after all the, only type of joke you know.
There were these two goldfish in a tank, and one of them turned to the other and said ‘Do you know how to drive this thing?’.
Tell dad jokes and make people groan, otherwise they’re gonna be a bunch of miserable Buggers.’
‘Also I am choosing you to talk as there is a high chance that you’ll screw this up and make people laugh a little anyway.’
[The original written version used ‘Bastards’ and ‘Cock’ but was changed to help facilitate the observance to sensitive ears.]
Another job I had was to wear pink.’ I can’t stand to think that everyone will just be dressed in black, I love pink, something bright and shocking is what’s required. I hope that people are wearing pinks and oranges and purples.’ is what she would say.
‘Also Keating I want you to say something different for me. Just say something about me. I don’t want this to be a sad litany of what I had achieved or how much I did something or another.’
‘Tell them a story. Tell them something they may not know, it does not matter if they do know it. I want it to be how you saw it. How you knew me. So today for her, I want to tell you about a cake.
Think of this as I tell you this story. We all meet people as we pass through life:
- Sometimes they make a great impact and are with you for a long time;
- Sometimes they make a small impact as they pass you fleetingly;
- It will be no surprise to you that Jane changed me a lot.
When we left college and Jane moved away to the south we kept in touch. For many years we had a tradition that we met up at least at New Year and also usually in the summer for a week as well.
Mostly it involved travelling and staying with the other person, or their parents and I am sure John can attest to how often we crashed his house. We just liked having a laugh.
One New Year’s eve Jane rang and told me should would be late. She would be there for New Year but would be delayed because she had to bake a cake.
I said fine, knowing that I was getting cake and Jane made a tasty sweet treat.
She arrived, late as advertised, and we settled down to talking, laughing and telling of probably awful jokes. After a while I asked about the cake.
‘Cake’ was her reply in a slightly surprised voice.
‘Yeah, you said you were baking a cake? I thought we should eat it to balance all the soft drinks we have consumed!’
‘Oh that wasn’t for you.’
‘Ah’. Now I wasn’t upset, may be a little at this point. I like cake, I liked Jane’s cake especially lemon drizzle cake with custard.
‘Sorry,’ I said, ‘I thought you were getting us all cake, I went out and sourced some custard.’
She smiled and laughed a little, ‘we can still have the custard.’
I of course got to asking who the cake was for, ‘well,’ she says, ‘each year when I come up here I use the Toll Road, and it occurred to me that the poor buggers on the toll road have to work on New Year’s Eve which has got to be pretty miserable. So I made them a cake.’
As I tell you this now it still stuns me how Jane’s mind used to work.
She had such a great deal of empathy for her fellow human beings.
People she had never met
People who were being paid to do a job.
They were in her heart and in her thoughts. She made them cake to cheer their New Year.
“And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.â€
[Reference not spoken, just the quote (Byron: She Walks in Beauty)]
Some people are with you a long time and have a great affect on your life.
Some are with you fleetingly and have almost none. They might, sometimes, change you in a subtle way.
Jane was a rare individual. She could be with you for a fleeting moment and yet make a great difference.
Imagine for a moment being the person who receives a cake as a gift from a total stranger just to cheer your day.
A small thing that can have far reaching meaning in an otherwise dreary time.
Jane exhibited what I like to think of as random acts of kindness. Part of me hopes there was some greater, more subtle plan.
In reality I know it was something else.
It was that Jane was an exceptional human being who thought far greater than most people, who truly cared beyond herself. It made her a rarity.
“But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!â€
[Reference not spoken, just the quote (Byron: She Walks in Beauty)]
To end today I am going to follow a tradition and misquote a favourite writer.
‘She was my friend. Take her for all in all. I shall not look upon her like again.’.
[Reference not spoken, just the quote (Shakespeare: Hamlet)]
Vale Jane.
Thank you for trying to capture her essence on all of our behalf, Mark. Well said, sir.
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