Ric knew that he didn't have long to live. Although the end came much sooner than anybody expected, and Ric was avoiding the issue, Gerben managed to talk with him about some essential issues.
Ric had decided a long time ago that he would like to be buried close to mum and dad, and there happened to be an empty grave right next to their grave. Ric had even spoken to the cemetery manager about this and Gerben then officially arranged this for him. Ric also decided he didn't want a church funeral, nor did he want an open casket for the public.
We said good-bye to Ric at a funeral parlor in Delden on Tuesday Sept 19. On Monday night there was an additional opportunity for people to pay their respects.
We were surprised by the large number of people, both on Monday night and at the funeral on Tuesday. Especially many of Ric's work colleagues showed up. Because his work has several locations and Ric often did the deliveries between locations, many people knew him and many came to pay their respects.
For us it was heart-warming to hear the many lovely stories about Ric - he was definitely loved!
The service was beautifully directed by Tineke, a family friend. Ric's friends said a few words, a few memories were shared by Gerben and Anne Marie (English version will follow), and I shared my my perspective on Ric (Dutch version here).
We also showed a slideshow of Ric's photos at the end of the service.
Cars were one of Ric's big hobbies, and he had a large collection of miniature cars which he was very proud of. We brought these along and suggested that visitors would take one of Ric's miniature cars as a memento.
Ric had decided a long time ago that he would like to be buried close to mum and dad, and there happened to be an empty grave right next to their grave. Ric had even spoken to the cemetery manager about this and Gerben then officially arranged this for him. Ric also decided he didn't want a church funeral, nor did he want an open casket for the public.
We were surprised by the large number of people, both on Monday night and at the funeral on Tuesday. Especially many of Ric's work colleagues showed up. Because his work has several locations and Ric often did the deliveries between locations, many people knew him and many came to pay their respects.
For us it was heart-warming to hear the many lovely stories about Ric - he was definitely loved!
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We also showed a slideshow of Ric's photos at the end of the service.
Cars were one of Ric's big hobbies, and he had a large collection of miniature cars which he was very proud of. We brought these along and suggested that visitors would take one of Ric's miniature cars as a memento.
Ric is finally at peace - next to his mum and dad
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