The Yearly 'Memorial' Thread

Hello, guys and girls of the DW forum.

For many of us on here, the last year has been a difficult one. Many of us - myself included - have lost family and friends in the last months and whilst their loss is no less felt with the passing of time, I hope that in time we all begin to heal and hold our memories with nothing but fondness.

Why post this thread now? I'm sure a few of you might be thinking that. Well, because tomorrow is a date that I won't ever forget. Five years ago tomorrow one of our forum members, a fine gentleman called Finn Higgins passed away in difficult circumstances. I won't recant the tale here (and if you search for 'Finn Higgins' on a search engine, you'll be able to read about the circumstances) because it is difficult for me to do so. Suffice to say he was a brilliant man that was taken away from us all too young.

A year ago in a fortnight I lost my own Grandfather but his decline started after a severe stroke several weeks earlier. I was in Guernsey at the time and shocked by what had happened. I'm glad to say that I saw him before he died and was privileged to have seen him pass - as painful as that is and continues to be.

At this juncture I'm not sure what else there is to be said.

I wish everyone that has lost friends and family solace.
 
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I wish everyone that has lost friends and family solace.

Same to you my friend and to everyone affected by the loss of those we love dearly, yes last year was a difficult year for many members here, the 6th of February was my Dad's birthday, it was a bit emotional to say the least, but I have found memories to go by, and it will get easier as times goes by.

I lost a dear drummer friend last year too, a stupid accident which took him away far too soon, leaving a family behind, we've got to cherish our time with the living and kiss and love all the one dear to our heart.

Thanks Duncan.

Henri
 
Here's to you Dad. And here's to you Michael. It was much more painful losing my stepson than it was my Father. 2012 was a tough year. 80 years is only 29,220 days, there's your perspective for the day.
 
Two deaths in my family last year - my older sister from cancer and my father of old age. Yes Larry, the younger they are, the sadder the passing.

Last year I also moved house, retired from work, quit smoking, got a respiratory problem that briefly hospitalised me (and is still unresolved), and renovated the house trying to rid it of what was clearly sick house syndrome (most likely a combo of mould and pathogens in the carpet).

Out of curiosity, I did one of those online stress tests where they score your stress level based on life events. The scoring went up various bands up to the top level of 300+ at which point they said you have a greatly increased chance of serious illness. My score was 586 ... big year.
 
I lost my grandma about a year ago and my grandfather two. I miss them so much, I find myself thinking about them almost every day, family gatherings feel so different without them there.

Two of my highschool classmates are dead, both were killed, one was killed becaused his brother was apparently involved in the drug world, the other resisted a car jacking. It's hard to believe the people I spent years in classrooms are gone so suddenly, the violence in my country is out of control, I want to believe the music that I make is somehow necessary to this world but sometimes I'm not so sure.
 
I lost my father in May, at the age of 82. A wonderful role model to me - he was fortunate that he lived his life to the fullest and was healthy for all but the last few months. We were blessed that he died in his sleep, without suffering and without stays in hospitals or nursing homes. Sometimes the loss of loved ones is more painful because of the suffering that leads up to the actual passing.

Also on a positive side, myself, my sister in law and my niece all survived bouts with cancer in the past year. Although too soon to be termed officially as "survivers" (which is a 5-year period), we are all optimistic that we have lots of life left to live.
 
Prayers for all of you that lost family and friends this last year.

My dad died last February. He had a dance band for most of my life and my first memories of playing drums was with his drummers. Good man he was. Music was always close to the center of my life because of him.
 
Funny, I only knew Finn from these forums, but I was just thinking about him a few days ago.

Solace to all, indeed.
 
Resurrecting a very old thread but Finn was a huge inspiration and a great source of knowledge to me as a teenager growing up using these forums to explore a world that would otherwise be a mystery to me. I named my son in honour of him for the impact he had on my life and I will never forget the significance.

A shame I can't seem to find anything anymore (the drumlessons.co.nz domain is of course long gone - memories!), if anyone has any old posts or data I'd love to see and reminisce as the sands of time have gotten to those memories.
 
I bet we've lost members and don't even know it. It was about a year ago or so that Mitchell W. Mulcahy passed. It's nice a community like this cares. And " It was much more painful losing my stepson than it was my Father." I had no idea Larry-my heart felt condolences-my worse fear is losing a child. I have several friends who've lost a child-I think about them a lot. Sounds like you had a great relationship with your Dad. I finally did have a great relationship, as a grown man, with my own (as buttheads it was inevitable we'd butt heads lol) -and my Mom passed 3 years ago (in Feb) at 92 and she was a saint-the only. reason I got any good in me and the reason I got music in my soul. Damn now you all got me all emotional. When you look at it as days passed, passed Summers, passed Christmases, it surprisingly how little time we spend on this earth. Makes me think I need to work harder my passage is positive.
 
Thanks Art. I didn't have a great relationship with my old man, but it was civil. He never really agreed with anything I did. My stepson, he and his 16 YO sister were passengers in a car accident on Christmas morning 2012 and Michael died 17 days later at age 18. Christmas gets harder every year. His sister Stephanie as well as my Mother in law survived with bad injuries. My Dad went 4 months before Michael, in September 2012, but he lived a good full life, and losing him wasn't nearly as hard to take as losing my wife's 18 YO.

I was just thinking of Mitch in this last week.
 
Well, in my job......I basically see someone die on a daily basis.

I'd like to send my sincerest condolences to all the relatives of the patients that have passed away in the intensive care unit where I work. I love you all and I hope that you find strength and the ability to keep on going in life.

I have seen people succumb to nature's cruelest diseases.

I have seen some things that should not be witnessed.

To all of my wonderful friends on this delightful forum, you guys make my day just that little bit brighter.

All I can say.....to each and everyone of you, tell your loved ones each and every day just how much you love them.
 
Resurrecting a very old thread but Finn was a huge inspiration and a great source of knowledge to me as a teenager growing up using these forums to explore a world that would otherwise be a mystery to me. I named my son in honour of him for the impact he had on my life and I will never forget the significance.

A shame I can't seem to find anything anymore (the drumlessons.co.nz domain is of course long gone - memories!), if anyone has any old posts or data I'd love to see and reminisce as the sands of time have gotten to those memories.

I'm afraid it was all lost and we couldn't get any administrative rights over the site after his passing. Mindgrenade - did you have a username back then? We're a similar age. Finn did have a huge impact and I've met people through his influence that have changed the course of my life, too. As of this year, he was five years younger than I am now when he passed - which is mind-boggling given the maturity of much of his writing. He just wasn't long for this World.

On a personal level, I have two grandparents in their 90s. They're both in full command of their senses but getting increasingly frail. Grandad still insists on making the coffee, though. Despite him being blind. Which I find as funny as he does.

The older I get, the more I realise that you can measure your age through events around you. A few years ago, all of my friends are getting married. Then some of them had children. Now some of them are getting divorced...
 
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