Remembering Ed, Speeches

Good afternoon family and friends,

First, I would like to thank you all for being here and honouring my dear Uncle Ed. I would also like to thank my Aunt Raqui for giving me the opportunity to say a few words about my Uncle. As the last rememberance speaker, I will keep my cue short and sweet.

When I was 15, my parents and I travelled to Los Angeles to visit my Uncle Ed and Aunt Raqui, as we did so many times before. While there, I interviewed my Uncle for a grade 9 history project. When returning to Canada and submitting my audio taped interview to my teacher, first thing in the morning, I found later that my teacher had accidentally recorded over the entire interview. As you can imagine, I was furious.

When informing my Uncle of this careless act, he immediately took it upon himself to re-do the interview and mailed me the audio recording when completing it. It was gestures like these that defined who my Uncle was.

My Uncle Ed was loving, witty, compassionate, principled and courageous. He really was all those things and much more. But what I am really going to miss is hearing his tender voice, embracing one of his warm hugs or receiving insightful advice when seeking his counsel.

Uncle Ed, you were the Grand Dad I never had. Thank you for being such an exemplary human being. You have left behind footprints on this earth and in our hearts which will last for an eternity.

Although you are no longer with us in the physical world, I know you and your band of brothers are all watching us from above. May God bless you always.