Departing Moons of our ancestors - amazing pictures - plus The Eulogy for My Dad

The Eulogy for My Dad

http://i.space.com/images/i/000/028/733/i02/crescent-moon-currituck-nc.jpg

08 MAY 2013
- This is The Moon that took my Dad from this life cycle to his neXt one,
there is a story to this moon, which i will tell...
maybe, later tonight
~ it is known, as The Tipped Moon
it takes oft times The Thunderbirds backhome
Susan Lynne Schwenger 31 OCT 2013

The Eulogy for My Dad
-Murray Bruce “Muff” Schwenger
Born 31 OCT 1931 - Left Earth 08 MAY 2013
Delivered: 14 May 2013
– Turner & Porter, Butler Chapel
- Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario Canada



Summer 1959 - Susan (age 7 months) & Muff aka Murray Bruce Schwenger,her dad - age 27


"Thank you for choosing to invest your time
in being here with all of us today.

Dad always said,

“That an investment of time into the lives of others
was one of the only things,
that would pay back the type of dividends
that were truly worth chasing after in this lifetime.

The Master of Time,
was almost always right,
except when it came to futures

To see myself, and all of my family currently surrounded by
so many good people that Dad loved,
and, who loved our Dad is absolutely amazing.

Thank you for choosing to be here,
to share in this
~Our Last Good-bye to him.

Thank you to all of you
~for loving us.

A Special “Thank You”
To George Provost & Carol Handy – Moloney - Provost
for setting up the special Memorial tables.

A Special “thank you”
To Bill Spring & Janice Handy – Spring
for the special meal prepared with love
for the family yesterday.

And, to Janice for your time given to prepare
The Order of Service, Agenda and Brochure.


~All of your eyes created all the fine details,
along with your investment of time
your caring & loving inputs
has greatly assisted us in putting this all together
with measures of grace & love, and with ease.

Our family, will be eternally grateful to all of you.

On behalf of my family, we thank you
from the bottom of our hearts !!!

And, of course, A special thank you to all of you
who have helped us & who have stood by us.

During the times before,
and, those times in the hospice
without all of you, and, your help
this would have been a lot harder for us to bare,
and, much less stressful than t was.

There are far too many here today,
to stop, to recognize you all personally
in this precise moment of time.

However, we know who you are
and, that is all that is important.
So, thank you !!!

Thank You for coming out today
to exchange with all of us.

I would like to start out by saying:

I was always incredibly proud to be
Murray Bruce “Muff” Schwenger’s daughter...
and, his number 2 dolly, my mum was always his number 1 dolly.

MURRAY BRUCE “MUFF” SCHWENGER
Was born on the 31^st of October in 1931
On Hallowe’en evening at 10:31 pm EST
Weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs 3.1 oz...

His Mother Goldie, my grandmother always said it made him,
her “SPECiAL TRiPLE TEN DASH THiRTY ONE TRiCK or TREAT”.

He had an older sister, Lucille who married Barry Yates.

And, he had an older brother, Wallace who married Jean Bird.

Losing his beloved mother "Goldie" at the tender age of 21, in 1953
~had a major impact on My Dad’s life.

Fortunately Mum came into DAD’s Life,
And, she brought with her some truly amazing people
~ her parents Viola Mae Drury & James Edward Handy Jr.
~and Grandma Teresa Kopitowski – Drury
Which gave dad back some ‘new-found’ mothers.

He also gained brothers Merv & Donald Handy
And sisters Joan, Janice & Carol Handy.

As, well as, Marg Ryan, Gloria Airhartyt, Alice Deforge,
Lloyd Fletcher, William Spring, George Provost,
And Michael Moloney.

And, he loved each & everyone of them,

As, if they were his own blood brothers & blood sisters.

They blessed him with a wonderful & rich assortment
of nieces & nephews, who loved him, and, who he loved dearly,
and, they almost all called him “Uncle Muff”.

To many of his friends, he was known simply as “Muff”.

To his beloved wife of 56 years, he was known as “Murr”.

There are a lot of amazing words I would have to utilize to describe My Dad
& The Assortment of Great Lessons that he spent his valuable time to teach me.

~In a nutshell, he was a ‘real’ Master of Time

He ran his private life & his public life the same.

He taught us, the great lessons of:

Acceptance & Appreciation

Bravery & Courage

Compassion & Courtesy

Fair mindedness

Forgiveness & Grace

Honour & Humility

Patience & Perseverance

Respect for Authority & Respect for Elders

Which resulted in my own knowing & understanding of:

The importance of giving of my time unselfishly,

and, being in loving service to others .

My Dad was a great story-teller

~stuffed full of a lot of Stories & Wisdom

and he applied & infused measures of all of these things

Into all of the equations he weaved in his life.

Truth was important to My Dad,
because, Truth is the highest expression of love.

My Dad was known for his beautiful handwriting, jewelry arts, and clock and watchmaking skills.

He had magnificent hands, with long, beautiful, gentle and, large fingers
that spanned 8.5 octaves
– and, he possessed a set of highly skilled healing hands.

For awhile, I believed all men possessed this skill

Sadly, I was disappointed, when I discovered that this was NOT a truth

but, rather my dad was a very rare & talented man.

He fixed many special things, for many special people.

He was my own private Mr. Fix it !!!

Back when i was 2, i broke a glass,

Before anyone could react to what had happened,

I piped up, and, said ... “That is OK, Daddy can fix it !!!”

I grew up, believing all men could fix anything

sadly, i was oft times disappointed

since, that was NOT a real truth.

It took me a long time to find a good man

Like my dad, fortunately,

I have found those same type of measures

in my good friend & life partner Past Chief Timothy Gregory "Tim" Restoule.

One of the greatest lessons, my father ever taught me,
was the investment of ‘giving unselfishly of your time’ .

Thank you for all choosing to make the investment
of your valuable time to be here with all of us today...

Today marks an important passage in time.

It is a day, where I get to say my last goodbyes

To my Dad.

The caring, kind & thoughtful things
many of you have done for all of us,
during both of my parents struggles with cancer
and, during my fathers last days
which spans NOT only over the last five years,
but, over our complete lifetime,
has NOT gone unnoticed.

It is through all of you,
that many of us,
Get to learn the lessons associated with
giving of your time unselfishly to others.

This ironically was one of Mum’s & Dad’s greatest attributes.

The true gift of time can NOT be measured...

For everyone who was ever lucky enough
& fortunate to have their paths cross with DAD
they would all tell you,
he was always a ‘treat’ to be around
~ even right up until the very end.

He NEVER shared with me any of his fears,

although, I am sure, he must of had them.

In many ways, he always spent a lot of his time
protecting his family, and, keeping us safe
and, he did this right up until the end.

There are a lot of parts of this last five years,
that still seem totally surreal

~ in fact, I might find myself trying to describe it

like a bad dream or a horrible nightmare.

And, for the first time, in my own life,

i just did NOT know what to do.

The question of

~ How on earth can bad things happen to good people ?

surfaced frequently.

Dad was always clever, creative & innovative.

Dad always had an amazing sense of humour,

Which resulted in him coming up with

An assortment of funny things to do to people !!!

Fortunately, the bulk of these things

Fit into the category of harmless pranks,

which after the initial fear factor,

left a lasting impression .

Which solicited hugs, smiles, tears & laughter from others.

It seems Dad reserved these hilarious
“treats & tricks”
for those people that he loved the most !!!

Dad had a special way of being

~he was genuine, strong & real
~his smile & his laugh where both contagious
~he lit up a room with his presence when he entered it

Dad loved the ritual of dressing up~ hallowe’en style

Dad also loved getting dressed up,
Putting his #1 Dolly – My MUM on his arm,
And, going out bowling, dancing or to a good movie.

He also enjoyed ‘eating’ good food.

He almost always looked good & smelled good.

He took great pride in his ability to accomplish &

complete projects, he could fix almost anything.

My Dad was born in The Steel City of Hamilton
back in 1931, and, perhaps that lent Dad
one of the true measures of his many strengths.

Up to age 6, he spent his time spread between

The family home in Hamilton, Ontario &
Cedar Springs near Kilbride, Ontario
where they lived in a log cabin with a stone fireplace
Which overlooked 16 mile creek, and, a golf course.

It was built with loving hands by his father Albert,
as a wedding present for his mother Goldie Cameron Mckenzie.

For one year, they lived on HWY 10 in a grand old house with a big clock in front
~which very likely created his early interest in the inner workings of clocks & watches.

My Dad was NOT only a Master Horologist
aka Clock & Watchmaker, but also a
Graduate Jeweler (GJ)

Who practiced his art for exactly 60 years,

Since he graduated from school on the 7^th of May 1953,
And, crossed over on the 8^th of May 2013.

More importantly, my dad was a real Master of Time
~He was a man who understood the ‘real’ value
of exchanging & sharing his time
Unselfishly with others...

He was a great exchanger & incredible teacher
who created the type of friendships with others,
that lasted for his entire lifetime.

In 1939, when Dad was in his 9^th year (8),

His family moved away from the steel city

to The Big Smoke aka Toronto

into the heart of Bloor West Village
and, they lived at 319 Durie Street.

Albert & Goldie instilled the importance
of getting a good education,

the love of cottage life, being out in nature
& a love of the great outdoors.

~fishing, golfing, hunting, skiing, racket
& water sports where all featured prominently.

Dad excelled at every one of them.

Living amongst nature gave Murray
a very healthy respect for all living things,
Which he also instilled into his own family.

His mother was an avid 'rock' & 'wild-flower' gardener,

As, well as, an expert quilter
~she was killed by a drunk truck driver on Hamilton Mountain in 1953
When Dad was in his 22^nd year.

She left behind a half finished double wedding band quilt, which is on display here, in its finished form.

This quilt was finished by Lynda's mother Viola Mae Drury - Handy, my grandmother
& Grandmother Efie aka Theresa Kopitowski – Drury, my great-grandmother.
~so, it is very rare, to have one quilt,
that was made by 2 mothers & 1 grandmother.

Today, it is just one of our assortment of real family treasures.

Dad was always a great lover of dogs & cats in his childhood.

He also had his own 'in house' breeding business of tropical fish
which he brought into his married life with Mum.

One of my Dad’s favourite past times was dancing.

He was an accomplished Square Dancer
& Square Dance Caller.

He taught me & his granddaughter “Jamie” how to dance.

He also enjoyed the social dances at The Palias Royale
on The Lake in Toronto, Ontario
which is where, Mum & Dad first met back in July of 1954.

One of the things, that my dad always said to me,
Was that the first time, he ever danced with Mum
He knew, without any doubts or any reservations,
that she was the girl for him.

~There have been many times in my life

That I, along with many others have marvelled
at their ability to dance together
NOT as two, but, as one.

Music was another love in My Dad’s life.

My Mum once said to me,
If there was any song,
That summed up, everything My Dad,
Was to her, it would be the song “Perhaps Love”
By Placido Domingo & Johnny Denver.

Dad proposed to my mum on her birthday
the 5^th of January 1956

And, on the 19^th of May 1956 they were married.

Their union lasted almost 57 years,

He left earth, just 11 days short of their 57^th Anniversary.

He honoured his wedding vows, right to the very end.

~The most remarkable gift Dad ever gave me,
Was, that he truly loved Mum.

Their union was a great love story.

After Dad & Mum got married

They lived in Mum’s Apartment from her single days

And, they eventually moved into Grandpa Schwenger’s house

to save money for there own house,

while Lucille his sister lived at Cedar Springs during the summer.

They also lived briefly,
in a flat at 387 Durie Street,
prior to purchasing a home,
at 7 Henley Crescent in Rexdale in 1957
next door to The Mandersons who had 9 children.
Mum had made Dad agree to having six children,
before she accepted his engagement ring.

After struggling with 9 months of terrible illnesses associated with pregnancies
while carrying Ken & me

-they decided that having 2 children was enough !!!

From Patter to Spooky, Daisy to Buddy
Dad loved all of our cats
~ after the death of Buddy
Dad secretly visited the Etobicoke Humane Society
~ however, he was never quite brave enough to come home with The 5^th cat.

Dad was a good man
~he was a great provider
~he excelled in the things that truly matter

He gave us the greatest gift of all,
he always, and, in all ways gave us his time,
and, he did that unselfishly.

He helped us become & develop into good people.

His ability to help people to fix things,

Along with his caring, kind, and thoughtful nature

Lead him to experiencing a very rich & full life.

With 4 good cats, and, 1 good wife

Along with 2 good kids,

you would think, that would be enough.

Mum & Dad often opened their home,

To assist others, in their time of need.

Cousin Shane, and Cousin Matthew both lived with us for short periods of time.

They always were caring, considerate, kind, loyal,

loving, loveable and thoughtful towards each other,

and, to others.

My first camping & fishing trip with my dad
consisted of a Canvas Tent with no floor
and 13 Poles – Back in 1962, at the age of 3 ½
When the two of us
Set off for the great white north alone

-Dad had me in an inner tube catching little green frogs for bait,
and, he was fishing right off a dock in The Muskoka River

-he had set down his pole for just a minute
And, The Big Whopper hit the line
And, before you knew it
-his pole was sliding off the dock and into the water

-Dad did NOT take any kind of defeat easy

So, off came the watch, he handed it to me,
and, he told me to stay exactly where I was,
and, he actually dove into the water,
after the fishing pole.

At that particular moment,
I was sure, I had lost my dad forever
-anyway, as, most good fishing stories go
The Whopper got away, he recaptured his pole

And, our camping & fishing trip continued.

Dad was also kind to his own father
Taking him away on boating trips to fish, hunt & camp.
~The Lessons about interacting in NATURE started young.

Dad only had ONE major rule...
And, it was a simple one !!!

-“You always leave a place, better than you found it “
~Murray Bruce “Muff” Schwenger

You always use up anything you take,
& that old adage of waste NOT, want NOT
Was the cardinal rule!!!

And,
If there is a good use for something,
you do NOT throw it out !!!

This earth & this world has become a better place
because Murray Bruce “Muff” Schwenger
exchanged & lived in it for over 81 years.

The last conversation, that I shared with Dad
was exactly, what I thought it would be,

Although, I had always hoped, and, always prayed,
That something would occur,
that would miraculously heal him.

The set of circumstances that were beginning to play themselves out
were definitely NOT leading in that direction.

On my last visit to Dad with Tim,
before he went off to the hospice,

He asked me, to promise to get
Ken & Pam, Allan & Jamie, & Tim & myself

To look after, as, well as look out for My Mum
in the days to come.

I know, it will be both an honour & a privilege
To honour this, his last request !!!

Looking around this room,
And, seeing the type of people
who were Dad’s & Mum’s family & friends
it gives me that inner sense of real knowing,
that my Dad was truly the greatest man
that I have ever known
– fortunately for me,
Past Chief Timothy Gregory "Tim" Restoule is just like him.

One of the greatest things about DAD

Was, that he was always,
ready, willing & able to lend his ear or his hand.

He valued ‘good friends’

And, could always be relied upon
As, your confident & your best friend.
If, something was broken
He always knew how to FIX- IT !!!

i’ve often heard my mother say...
“It is, what it is !!!”
But, is it ?

I know that my life,
without My Dad is NOT going to be the same again

~and, I know I am going to miss him.

You know, if I had to think of
the greatest gift My Dad ever gave To Ken & I,
I’d have to say, It was that he truly loved Our Mum.

I know it allowed us,
to grow up in a house that was very balanced,
a place that was full of love, peace & tranquility
& we both were able to transport all of that,
into our own two lives with our partners.

So, Thank You Dad,
for The All the great life of lessons,
and, for loving all of us.

Thank you for always making sure
that I have always known
I was loved each & every day of my life.

I love you, Dad,
and I will miss you more than I can say.

With all my love, and, my respect
Until we cross paths again,
JOURNEY WELL !!!

Your daughter,
Susan Lynne Schwenger


"Love is NOT what you say...
Love is what you DO !!! "
- Susan Lynne Schwenger

 

Jorgelito - Posted May 17th 2013

Susan, you must be proud to be a daughter of "Muff" Schwenger.
But he was lucky too to have one such as you.

 

This video features the 1980 recording of song
"Perhaps Love", sung by John Denver & Plácido Domingo.



John Denver & Plácido Domingo in Studio - Perhaps Love (1980)

Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of Pain
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of Pain
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

 

His last words ...
(in the hospice)
As, I was sitting with my Dad
I heard the words
'Oh God', slide out of my Dad's mouth.
It surprised me,
since, my Dad believed 'the end' was 'the end".
One of my Aunt's wandered into the room
and, sat down.
Again, my dad said, "OH GOD"
and, I said,
"did you just hear what he said ?
he said that, just before you came into the room, now he is saying it again
perhaps, Dad is having some kind of internal dialogue
with The Creator."
To which, my aunt said,
"i think, its just an expression, and, you should NOT take any kind of meaning out of it"
Approximately three minutes later,
my father spoke again,
he said, "OH GOD".
I know, in the end,
my Dad was having a private meeting with The Creator
and, his final passing words have touched deeply into my heart
in a very rare and special way.

~ Susan Lynne Schwenger

 

Jorgelito - Posted May 17th 2013

Susan, You have wonderful memories and stories, a legacy of your Dad they are.

 

Bluesword Angel - Posted May 17th 2013

Susan

After reading your Dad Eulogy, I felt Love joy sadness almost tears in reading this,
It was very well written with Deep Caring devotions of One unselfishness love of your
Dad Muff "Mr,Fix It" Nature Lover,healer,and deep wisdom of "Common-Sense Man"

It is a real honor on knowing you and your Family,A real True Friend of humanity,

I thank you for sharing this with all of Us,Indeed

Your Kind Friend who Stood By You,in time of Good and Bad,Indeed

Sir James

 

Shiloh Za-Rah - Posted May 17th 2013

From Him to Her across the Generations

 

THE MOON on 08 MAY 2013

PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Diesel Walck
Thin Crescent Moon Over North CarolinaCredit: Greg Diesel Walck

Astrophotographer Greg Diesel Walck sent in a photo of the crescent moon at sunrise taken on May 8, 2013.
He writes: "Finally clear skies after days of going out at 4 am to see the rising moon.
This is the last view before the new moon and the orange skies were amazing.Unedited picture at 5:15 am,
Currituck Sound, coastal North Carolina."


http://www.space.com/21026-night-sky-photos-may-2013.html

 

08 MAY 2013
The moon is growing smaller (old moon)
Fraction of the moon: 0.95222418439902
Illumination of the moon disk: 2 %
Moon angular diameter: 0.5 °
Sun angular diameter: 0.53 °

http://lunaf.com/english/moon-phases/lunar-calendar-2013/05/08/

 

Photography Credit: Neil Daniel Wolfgang
(got lost, but i will find it; and; post it in)