Requiem For My Uncle Ivan

Today as you are all gathered for one common purpose, to pay your respects and to celebrate the life of Ivan Dill.
It grieves me that I cannot be with you physically but please be assured that I am with you spiritually and I have a loving place in my heart for each and every one of you.

At some point in our lives, if we have not experienced it before, we will be faced with the passing of a loved one, each of us handle that tragedy in our own unique way.

We often ratiocinate trying to understand why this loved one has departed from us.

For most of my adult life I have always told myself that in the contingent world we are all caught up in an inescapable vortex of motion, transition and change, where death is an inevitable transition we all must face.

This belief however does not make me immune to, or protect me form the grief I feel for the passing of my uncle Ivan.

I once heard a pastor told his congregation “even though we know that death is unavoidable, grief is unpredictable and it will come upon us and can last for a long time”.

Fortunately for me grief does not have to be melancholy and sorrowful or the shedding of tears a sign of emotional suffering or weakness.

My bereavement for my uncle,is an outpouring of my respect, friendship and love for him.
I treasure that and I would in no way deprive myself of that privilege.

I would like to say to Auntie Lola, my uncle’s wife, I commend you for your indefatigable support and care for him during his illness, sometimes under the most trying conditions.

You did not break down or give up, your fortitude sustained you and you endured till the end.

To his son Donovan, dear aunts, cousins, family, family members and friends of “The House Of Dill” I say, on this day we are kindred spirits because we are all inextricably bound by the same thread which ties us to someone we all loved dearly, my Uncle Ivan.

Rest in peace Dear Uncle, Rest In Peace.

Kenneth George-Dill