The last time I saw my father alive, he was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed in his hospital gown, hooked up to his breathing tube and cheerfully exclaimed, “Oh look, there’s Angie!”
I was so overwhelmed at the love I felt from him at that moment that I started to cry uncontrollably and had to turn around and leave.
My mother later told me that he shared to my mother that he was very saddened by this – I am glad that my mother knows me so well that she can read my thoughts before I speak them and could therefore console him on my behalf and explain to him that I loved him so much that I was unable at that moment to express my love to him – and I am glad that although saddened by our last meeting, he voiced to my mother that he understood this.
It was this experience that allowed me to write the following eulogy:
Just to let you know,
This evening my father, Siegfried Gursche, passed away at around 8pm surrounded by family.
September 6, 1933 to October 2, 2013
He had just turned 80 last month.
I Love my Dad.
Forever and Always.
He had many families other than his own where he made many life lasting friendships: the church, The Fraser Book Nook, Flora Distributors, Teldon of Canada, Alive and finally Alpha Health Products Ltd.
I had the privilege of working in every one of his companies, some while he owned them and others after he sold them and in was able to acquire experience in every department.
Siegfried leaves a Legacy in the Health Food Industry … a Pioneer in his own right.
The best thing I learned from Siegfried is to talk in analogies.
The man who let me dance on his shoes when I was very little:
Who always made Christmas Eve the most special time of the year; after church in the afternoon/evening on the 24th of December, we had dinner and then the curtains were opened that revealed presents piled under a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree the sparkle of with real candles lit and also decorated with lights that looking like real candles;
Who brought home a stereo and children’s records in his native language, because he owned a book / stereo store called “The Fraser Book Nook”;
We were allowed to read as many books as we wanted, we always had a good variety of children’s books … “Books are our friends” was his motto. – To this day I love to learn and read books.
He has also left me with many other gifts passed on through the generations.
And for some reason was not very fond of his middle name.
And he had his faults as we all do.
None of us are perfect.
We all make mistakes.
And yet we are all loved, unconditionally.
All we have to do is to accept the love and pass it on.
I did not always agree with Siegfried.
And he neither with me.
We loved each other.
I will miss him terribly and he is in a better place.
He is with God.
2 Responses to My father’s love