Saturday, January 07, 2012

Arthur Campbell Fenton RIP

There is no such thing as a good funeral but as they go, the one yesterday for Pamela's father went well. The funeral director provided an excellent service, discreet and dignified. The Chaplain from the care home delivered a fitting eulogy which summoned up the man that Arthur was. In fact the way she conducted the whole ceremony was exemplary.

On the way to the crematorium, as the hearse drove slowly through the village, it was both unusual and rewarding to see that a pedestrian en route removed his cap whilst the cortege passed by. Such traditional values of respect are sadly lacking these days.

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of people who took the trouble to attend the funeral, which we took as a clear sign that Arthur was a popular and well respected member of the community.

Now, Pam and I face the reality that we are the oldest generation of our family and as such the weight of responsibility lies on our shoulders.  

1 comment:

Pete said...

In truth, I'm not entirely sure that it's respect that is lacking. I think it's more about knowledge. My generation learned from our parents that you remove your hat when a funeral cortege passes by, but my generation is the generation that didn't wear hats. Today's generation do wear hats but haven't been able to learn from their parents that they get removed for a passing funeral.

Most importantly, I'm glad that the service went well and with dignity. Campbell is an utterly magnificent middle name.