Example Eulogy from a father to a son
There is no love like the love you have for your child. The hope they fill you with is like a light that burns bright inside you. With the loss of our son Jarvis, our beautiful, kind soul, I feared this light would extinguish. Yet standing before you here today, I am still filled with this light, as I reflect on the brightness he poured into our world.
I still recall the very moment he was born, and the awe of seeing him open his eyes for the first time, with absolutely no idea of who this person would become. The responsibility I felt to protect and teach was huge. Little did I realise, how much it was he, who would teach me.
From the earliest of days, Jarvis’ character reflected the kind and generous nature of his mother, Eden. He loved to share his toys with his friends. Would often make gifts and write notes to them. Invent new games to play with them. An emotional sponge, his own happiness thrived in the happiness he felt in those around him. Loyal too. Countless times in primary school, he would stand up to defend his friends against any odds, whether they were around or not, earning the trust and friendship of many. I admired his strength of character. He continued to stand by his convictions and assert his beliefs into his teens.
Jarvis enjoyed school. Naturally curious, he loved to learn and share what he learned with others. His curiosity extended to all of his interests and would research them until every detail was known, only to share it with others.
Blessed with a limitless imagination, Jarvis was one of the most resourceful people I’ve known and a great maker of things. Never was a stick simply a stick, but a list of all the possible playful uses, or objects it could be fashioned into. Tape, string, glue, bluetack - anything adhesive was a tool for creation in the advancement of play. In his later years, the materials and construction methods become more sophisticated and his craftsmanship more refined.
Some of my favourite times were the days we spent making things together, one failed prototype after another. Watching his mind wrestle with problems before arriving at a solution was fascinating to me.
It was also the small moments that I cherish. Short walks or those car rides to school, where we would chat about whatever issue was top of his mind. From schoolyard troubles to complex geopolitical events, or just what he would have done if he were a certain character in a certain scene in one of the Starwars films.
There would be few fans of Lego or Starwars more dedicated or passionate than Jarvis. He was an engineer of great Lego constructions and the simplest perfectly designed small spaceships and futuristic creations. I constantly marvelled at the ability to simplify the complex into a simple arrangement of bricks.
Jarvis enjoyed strategic thinking too. A member of the chess club in school, he taught me all the exciting variations of the game, as well as many of the maneuvers in the game to win - though obviously, he was holding some back, because I couldn’t beat him after a couple of years. A lover of strategy games, in our family sessions of Risk, Catan, Legion and Monopoly, he was a consistent champion, outplaying and out-witting us all.
Above all, what I am trying to say here is, Jarvis was a loving, beautiful soul, who inspired compassion and kindness. He brought energy and excitement to everything he wanted to do. He inspired others to join him and bring their own excitement and energy, to exponentially enrich the experience. His was a life far to brief, and his passing is a shock to us all. But his light shines through our memories, and in all he taught us.
Thank you to all of you for your support in this difficult time.
Goodbye my son, we’ll carry you in our hearts forever.
