posted 28th August 2024
Allan's Celebration Of Life was an incredibly moving day, not least because he was a special guy and it was clear from the many people who had turned out to pay their respects that he would be sorely, sorely missed, not just by his partner and family, but by a whole community.
The brief I was given was that the ceremony had to be funny; it wasn't to be sad or mournful. Quite how to create that mood is difficult, especially when people come in to the crematorium crying. But I gave it my best shot and I knew that what I had created was exactly as the family wanted by the sea of smiling faces and their chorus of laughter throughout the whole thing. Of course, it was sad too, because the pain of loss is like a punch in the stomach, but everyone left knowing that Allan had lived a good life and felt all the better for having, in some small part, contributed to it.
And so I would like to share with you the feedback I got from his partner which made me feel so very happy that the ceremony lived up to their expectations:
"I am so glad that I chose Alicia to conduct Allan's Celebration of Life. From the initial visit right through to composing and delivering the eulogy, Alicia was caring and compassionate. She listened to all our reflections on Allan's life and created a eulogy that was very warm and very funny. Absolutely everybody commented on how well she captured his character and personality.
I would highly recommend her."
Tricia
