Brian… Dad, has never been a man of many words,

choosing them sparingly when he spoke.

An excellent listener,

always willing to hear what you have to say.

 

Today, I don’t intend to give a long account of

Brian’s life, because without a doubt he’ll be listening.

 

After all, he has planned much of today.

 

And if I was to indulge in his achievements,

Of which there are many…

He’d get grumpy,

In a nice kind of way, in Dad’s own special way.

 

Beside, I know that you all have your own memories of Brian

that when joined together create a beautiful mosaic of his life.

 Moments that you will be able to share together.

 

But I do want to share a story with you,

A story of a Sunflower…

Of two beautiful Sunflowers.

 

Sunflowers are a favourite of mine, big, bright, colourful and

beautiful.

And they have always been a favourite of Brian’s… Dad’s.

 

As a kid growing up I can always remember them growing at his parents home…

In Pop and Nana’s backyard.

 

At Scarborough, on the Redcliffe Penninsula,

there are two very special Sunflowers that are blooming…

 

You won’t miss them if you drive that way,

 For they stand majestically

 Overlooking the cliffs towards Moreton Bay.

 

What makes these two sunflowers so special is they are growing,

in the very spot where Dad asked our mother to marry him,

More than fifty years ago…

 

Last Sunday morning Dad slipped away peacefully…

As I held his hand gently the first rays of light were piercing the

Eastern skyline over Moreton Bay…

The rising sun is a beautiful thing,

Turning darkness to light,

 Signalling the dawning of a new day,

Lighting the pathway to a new life…

 

And as he made his way, peacefully,

I was comforted knowing that Nana and Pop would be waiting at the gate

for their little boy,

To hold him dearly, once again…

 

I was comforted that his faith has given him the courage,

to make this journey home,

His journey to eternal life.

 

I looked out over the bay at the rising sun and I could feel the

warmth from its rays touching these two sunflowers…

Breathing life into their delicate petals.

 

In the golden glow I could see a handsome young man,

holding his beautiful young bride…

A smile eased the tension in my face.

Over these past few days we have shed tears…

We have laughed…

 

But above all else we’ve felt so much joy that we have had Brian…

 Dad, with us for so long…

 

Always looking out for us all, and never far from Fay, the love of his life.

Yes, Fay, the love of his life…

To my mind one of the greatest gifts a father can give his

children is to love their mother, with all his heart,

Forever…

 

Mum, Dad will never stop loving you, he will never stop loving us all….

 

And to all here who have joined with us today

to farewell Brian,

I leave you with this thought…

 

When next you see a sunflower, take the time to stop…

Bask in its golden glow,

And look into its heart.

I know who’ll you’ll see and he will help wipe the tears you hold

He will bring a smile to your face…

 

Yes, Brian…

Dad…

Big, bright, colourful and beautiful…

Ps: Brian hasn’t smoke a pipe in decades, but we snapped him “mucking” around recently…