Prayers and Preparations

Over the last two weeks I along with my family and friends have been helping to prepare my dad's funeral, here are some images from the preparations and evening prayer sessions held at my mother's house in Frankston. Thank you to all who helped in the preparations, and to all the people who played and participated in the funeral service. It was a beautiful, unique service, full of music and love, with a special appearance from our family friend Gil Askey, who put a New Orleans style twist at the end of the service playing trumpet and singing "what a wonderful world" and "When the Saints Go Marching In". My dad would have been so happy.

My Dad's remembrance table, surrounded in flowers sent from friends

more after the break

1st night of prayers for my dad. 

 

My mother participating in prayer

My sister and I

blessing our food before dinner

I prepared 5 portraits (12x18) to be displayed at the funeral service

My sister recording as song called "wonderful life" which would be played at the funeral service

Hard at work, working out the funeral arrangements

Tired pussy cat from all the attention of people coming and going out of our house

The day of the funeral

Portraits displayed out in the foyer - I donated some of these portraits to some of Dad's country music friends

The Wake - tons of food for everyone!

My partner Virginia with my mum

Mum and I

My aunt helping out 

My sister and mother enjoying the jam session, just the way dad likes it! 

I joined in a little later...

 

finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me support and love over this tough time. I am so grateful that I have an outlet such as photography to share with you my experiences through this, it definitely does help the grieving process. The legacy of my father lives on not only through my mother, my sister and I, but also with the people who have come in contact with him over the years and been blessed with his awesome musical talent.