I think that my grandfather Bert's farewell was all that he could have hoped it would be.
He died peacefully at a nice old age, with his children at his side, and without much suffering.
The newspaper coverage continued all week and his death was eulogized by all of the major Canadian newspapers.
Yesterday we had a celebration of my Granbert's life. It was a beautiful sunny day by the river. The canoe club building was packed with people who knew him or admired him. The walls were lined with his artwork and photo collages of various aspects of his life. Some funny stories about him were shared by his friends and children. Food and drink were enjoyed by everyone. Damon asked me on the way home, "Why wasn't everybody crying?" I tried to explain to him that even though we will miss Bert a lot, we were there to celebrate what a great life he had lived.
It was as it should have been, and as I wish it could be for all of us. I think that somewhere Granbert is sitting on a beach with the biggest grin on his face.
