Thoughts on Dad at the Celebration of his Life

There are three things I want to say: Dad, Gratitude, and Legacy

DAD

Dad was one of the most educated men I knew despite his lack of formal education. As late as last Tuesday, he and I were reading the news on my tablet and discussing the state of political affairs (he’d probably blame his demise on Justin because he was so fed up with how things were going!). 

After his release from the RCAF at the age of 49 - forced retirement - he took correspondence courses to get his high school matriculation. I remember the envelopes those lessons went back and forth in, I remember the paper on which he wrote those courses (and seeing the marks that came back). A special experience was to write high school exams with your father - it must have been Grade 13 because we were in a big hall, in rows, in a proctored exam (I can still remember the windows of that high school in Trenton). The courses I remember were geography and English; I still have copies of some of the books he read for English and Corrine still has one of the short stories he wrote. 

As I drive along Hwy 7, I remember Dad and the Eskers and Drumlins from that geography course; unfortunately I don’t remember which is which! Dad used to tease me about my use of my tablet, but like Dad I am curious and like to find out things as they occur. Dad used to read with a dictionary close at hand. I knew I had won Dad over with the tablet and internet when we were sitting in the living room not so long ago and he said - you’ve got that thing there - look up.......

Gratitude

First of all to Birgit for exemplifying the ‘in sickness and health’ and ‘for better or for worse’ in the marriage vows. Without Birgit’s patience and love we would not have had Dad for as long as we did. 

I often told her how much I admired her for those traits (my reputation as Nurse Ratchit is well known in my family) and she was always surprised - she said, "Well you just do it!". 

Birgit - you have your family here in front of you today; we are now here to support you. I have so much gratitude for John and Brent - best sons-in-laws of our generation (I say that because there are some rather wonderful sons-in-laws from the next generation here). Both of those two were so loved by Dad and they never, ever hesitated to come to Ottawa to visit, to help, to support, and to love.

Finally, Legacy

First of all, Dad left his own legacy with Corrine’s tremendous help in creating those five books. He started writing the first of his many stories when he was younger than I am now - he wasn’t sure how much time he had left!!!!!! For that we are so grateful. 

The ring - many of us are wearing rings based on the original ring that, as Dad told us many times, had been to war and around the world. 

And his name - Read is not a usual first name (and I hope to encourage one of Dad’s great-grandsons to continue our genealogy search to know about that name). All of us have names that honour family. There are 3 people here who share Dad’s name as part of theirs. I hope they will tell their children about that name and a little bit about who he was.

Dad’s life was a good one, and I’m so glad we are all here to celebrate it.