My father died in early December. He lived an event filled life for 86 years so no one felt he had been taken too soon, well, except for Mom who had been his wife and sweetheart for 60 years.
As I look back on the day of the funeral I have several things to laugh at along with the life time of memories and lessons Dad shared with me. Dad was a military man up until the time I was five years old, so promptness was always something drilled into our heads..."If you are not fifteen minutes early you are late" was a common phrase uttered from his mouth. It so happened the day of the funeral Vic, Ron and myself had been asked by Mom if we would dress his body right before the funeral, which we were glad to do. The funeral home had said they would give us a call when his body was brought from the funeral home in Farmington to the funeral home in Kirtland where the dressing of his body would take place and from that funeral home they would bring Dad over to the church house where the funeral would take place.
Dad's body was put in a hearst in Farmington, but on the way to Kirtland that hearst broke down and a replacement hearst was dispatched to make the transfer. It was a slow transfer. By the time Dad's body arrived and we were called, few precious moments were left to get his body dressed so we could start the funeral. This was not something any of the three of us brothers were well practiced at, so it took us a lengthened time to get Dad ready. The final result of all this was that saying that you have all heard a hundred times before...."he'll be late for his own funeral"... well, he was almost late. Going by his own words he was not fifteen minutes early, so by Dad's standards he was indeed late for his own funeral.
After a long life, Dad mellowed in his attitude about different situations and I know he would have gotten a good chuckle at the irony of it all.
We remember Dad fondly at the start of each December.