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A tribute to a wonderful uncle

FollowingHim

FollowingHim

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My favourite uncle passed away yesterday evening. Sudden heart attack...

He was one of the most Christian men I ever knew, in the most real practical sense of loving others as Jesus would. He was the most generous man I have ever known, and I have been a willing recipient of that generosity all my life. Not money (he was too generous to ever have much of that), but time and things, sometimes of sentimental value to himself but freely given. He has no children, so poured his love on his wife, his nieces and nephews, and on another young man from a very troubled background who needed a father.

He was also the biggest alcoholic I have ever met, and a chain smoker, unable to quit either habit, who would frequent pubs not churches, and had a peer group on a different side of society to myself. He was the exact opposite of a "churchman". A constant reminder to not judge from outside appearances.

He was simply a REAL man - not one to put on appearances or say the right things, one to simply place others ahead of himself and act accordingly.

I am too busy today to write much, I have a three-hour drive ahead of me to meet with his wife and start planning a funeral. But I love him too much to say nothing until I have more time.

I have always felt so at home with him, and wish I could spend just one more evening in his hut, talking about life. But I am confident I will see him again one day, where we can have such conversations for eternity.

Goodbye for a season, my dear Uncle Jeremy.
 
My heart hurts for all who lose a loved one. Thank you for sharing with us.

I pray that all close to him are comforted, and that your confidence about sharing time with him in the future is felt by others. May your faith draw others to God.
 
NickF said:
Beautiful tribute brother
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Ditto, Samuel. Moving.

You honor his loving spirit by the manner in which you return the favor.
 
FollowingHim said:
My favourite uncle passed away yesterday evening. Sudden heart attack...

He was one of the most Christian men I ever knew, in the most real practical sense of loving others as Jesus would. He was the most generous man I have ever known, and I have been a willing recipient of that generosity all my life. Not money (he was too generous to ever have much of that), but time and things, sometimes of sentimental value to himself but freely given. He has no children, so poured his love on his wife, his nieces and nephews, and on another young man from a very troubled background who needed a father.

He was also the biggest alcoholic I have ever met, and a chain smoker, unable to quit either habit, who would frequent pubs not churches, and had a peer group on a different side of society to myself. He was the exact opposite of a "churchman". A constant reminder to not judge from outside appearances.

He was simply a REAL man - not one to put on appearances or say the right things, one to simply place others ahead of himself and act accordingly.

I am too busy today to write much, I have a three-hour drive ahead of me to meet with his wife and start planning a funeral. But I love him too much to say nothing until I have more time.

I have always felt so at home with him, and wish I could spend just one more evening in his hut, talking about life. But I am confident I will see him again one day, where we can have such conversations for eternity.

Goodbye for a season, my dear Uncle Jeremy.
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He's got a good name. 😉
 
That was actually a four hour drive each way, so it's been a big day, but the funeral arrangements are well in hand and the most immediate practical questions have been addressed. It's going to be a very complicated week, but we've made a good start to it. Still very hard to grasp the fact that he's gone.

But I automatically assumed responsibility for sorting this all out (with the assistance of my mother), something I have zero experience with - only to learn from his wife once I was already on the road that he had said that he hoped that I specifically would take responsibility for this should he die suddenly. There are many people in our family, but he wanted me to do this. It is reassuring to know that I am automatically doing the exact job he would want me to be doing, and that assures me I am exactly where God wants me to be.

Off to bed now. I have a funeral for another uncle to attend tomorrow. Fortunately I didn't have to arrange that one. But people are dropping like flies around here from heart attacks, most likely due to a certain injection...

My grandfather has lost his twin brother, and then his son, five days apart. It's a rough week. If the stress proves too great for him, there could well be a third bereavement in the very near future. I have however strictly instructed my grandfather that we are far too busy to arrange his funeral also this week, he has to wait, and so far he's obliging. :)

Also fortunately the assurance we as a family have of our eternal hope means we have long joked about death, and can approach this with enough humour to make bereavement at least tolerable.
 
We just got back after spending two days away for the funeral. It was a beautiful funeral, a perfect tribute to a wonderful man.

The day of the funeral was the 5 year anniversary of the death of Samuel's grandmother, and a few hours before the funeral we were told that Samuel's great aunt had just died also. This was his grandfather's older sister. So we will have another funeral to attend next week, but this one at least Samuel won't have to organise, and it is only 15 mins away instead of 4 hours.

We are still concerned for Samuel's grandfather. In 10 days he has lost a brother, son, and a sister. He is now the last of his siblings alive. Samuel's 3 female cousins are staying with him for the week to look after him, and they are wonderful nurses and carers.
 
FollowingHim2 said:
We just got back after spending two days away for the funeral. It was a beautiful funeral, a perfect tribute to a wonderful man.

The day of the funeral was the 5 year anniversary of the death of Samuel's grandmother, and a few hours before the funeral we were told that Samuel's great aunt had just died also. This was his grandfather's older sister. So we will have another funeral to attend next week, but this one at least Samuel won't have to organise, and it is only 15 mins away instead of 4 hours.

We are still concerned for Samuel's grandfather. In 10 days he has lost a brother, son, and a sister. He is now the last of his siblings alive. Samuel's 3 female cousins are staying with him for the week to look after him, and they are wonderful nurses and carers.
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Thank you for the update Sarah and we continue to pray for you all. Death reminds us all that we are only temporarily sojourners here. May our great and awesome God grant comfort and strength for all throughout these sad challenges.
 
FollowingHim2 said:
We are still concerned for Samuel's grandfather. In 10 days he has lost a brother, son, and a sister. He is now the last of his siblings alive. Samuel's 3 female cousins are staying with him for the week to look after him, and they are wonderful nurses and carers.
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Hopefully, he won't lost will for life.

Certainly he is thinking when his time will arrive.

Maybe, instead of 3 cousins you should send him young nubile virgin to improve his mood? 😉😅
 
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