Gestures
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord,
Make me a channel of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Dad Tribute 24Nov21
Thank you, Sam and Nick. I hope for each of us that “when we meet our maker” it is as beautiful as that was.
The Funeral Liturgy will begin as soon as I am finished Dad’s Tribute so I’ll try to get through this without too many breaks. I brought my water….
First, I’d like to thank everyone for coming today. You all represent some slice of Dad’s life and all the love and respect that resonates in this church today shows how much of an impact he has had throughout his life.
Dad had many roles, and wore lots of different hats: He was a Husband and a Father and a Grandfather in our family. He was a Son and a Brother in his own family. He was a teacher, a counsellor, and a leader in his professional life. And he was a friend.
Nearly everyone here knows Dad pretty well so I’ll keep the history brief. He was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and grew up in Antigonish, Nova Scotia where he attended St. Francis Xavier University earning his undergraduate degrees in both Geology and Education. This is also where he began his teaching career, in a small school house up on a hill, which is now completely surrounded by the university campus. One of Dad’s warmest memories is the call he still gets from a former Gr.6 student from those early Antigonish days. Dad made such a profound impact on this student that some 60 years later this man still calls Dad regularly just to chat.
Shortly after Dad’s teaching start, he and a crew of buddies “headed west” and set up in Calgary. Dad worked with the Calgary Catholic School Board, beginning in 1958 as a teacher and counsellor at St. Mary’s Boys School, then serving as the founding Principal of St. Francis High School from 1962-78, and finally culminating as Chief Superintendent of the Calgary Catholic School Board before retiring in 1992. It’s hard to imagine the breadth of his leadership throughout this period: Everything from the hippy fueled revolution of the 60’s through to the introduction of the first computers in offices and in schools. He was a steady hand in what must have been a rough sea. Throughout his career he always answered “the call” - never looking for new assignments but stepping up when his skills were requested. Despite his rise to the top superintendent’s chair in the Catholic School system, his time at St. Francis was definitely his heyday. From the amalgamation of the original boys and girls schools on through the Gary Deman Football Dynasty, he lead the school to academic, athletic and community greatness. There are countless student lives that he touched there and he remains a cornerstone in the foundation of that institution. Amazingly Dad was but a young 28 years old when he became principal at SF. OK grandkids, it’s time to start picking up the pace here!
Dad took great joy in serving his family, friends and community. He was very active in the church both at St. Luke’s here and in various roles within the Diocese.
While SFH may have been his professional passion, the true love of his life was his family. He was, if nothing else, a man of integrity and a man of selfless giving (sometimes he could be TOO giving). He would give you the food right off his plate - even if you didn’t want it! And especially if it had cheese in it. He detested cheese.
But his family was everything. Mom, you were Dad’s one true love. You were “his person”. There was nothing more important to him than protecting, providing and caring for you. For over 61 years the two of you have forged a life together, have accomplished so much and have created a pathway for success for all of us. You made a home for Tony and Valerie and I, and you and Dad guided us with care as we moved forward in our lives. Dad wore a lot of hats in his life, but none were bigger than The Family Hat.
Tony, Dad was ever so proud of you and your whole family. He ALWAYS introduced you as DR TONY TAYLOR. Even when he was just introducing us kids, it was not “Here are Tony, Mark and Val” but instead it was “Here are Mark and Valerie and DR. TONY”. He searched and fought to find a way to support you in your long medical education, back in the day when “going away to university” was a REALLY BIG deal. Dad was always in your corner, and ready to fight for you. Right to the very end, in that long last night, he fought for you, every hour, because he knew you were coming home.
Valerie, a father has a special love for his daughter. I know. You were always daddy’s little girl. You were a little later coming on the scene and easily earned your nickname “Small”, but you had a very big, very special place in Dad’s heart. No matter what obstacle you came across, what stumble may happen, what challenge arose, he loved you - with no strings attached. He might agree with how you handled the particular challenge, or maybe he didn’t, but that never changed his UNCONDITIONAL love for you. What a gift from Dad, to be loved like that.
I always considered myself lucky that I had - right through my teenage years - four happy, healthy and wise grandparents to tell me stories and guide me. We had my Dad’s parents, Jack and Marguerite, and my Mom’s parents, Tony and Louisa.
Now I look at the Taylor grandkids here and think what a blessing they have had to have Mom and Dad, Michele’s parents Art and Collette, and Janet’s parents Don and Lois in their lives - well into their 20’s and 30’s. How lucky you all are! And though sadly we say now, “and then there were three”, I know that the love from those three grandparents will continue to shine brighter than the sun in their grandchildren’s lives.
Dad, with his many hats in this world, has lived a life of integrity, dedication and love. He was a family man. He was a community man. He was a holy man. Michele asked him the other evening while he was lying quietly, “What are you thinking about?”. He simply said he was so proud of his children and his grandchildren and how lucky he was to have them all in his life. We turn that right back to you Dad. It is your great example of how to work hard, be passionate, care deeply, and give freely that has helped us all become who we are. What can any of us hope for in our allotted time here on earth? But to just leave the world, a better place, for us having been here. Dad, “you done good” - or as the teacher would correct me – “you have completed this assignment very well”.
The world feels a little darker and colder today without the loving relationships Dad had with us all but we go forward with his strength by our side and his love in our hearts, living our lives to continue to make him proud.
We love you Dad. Godspeed, and we’ll see you on the other side.
When I Meet My Maker – by Tenille Townes
When I meet my maker
At the open golden gates
He's gonna welcome me home
Where eternity awaits
I'm gonna run into his arms
I'm gonna stare into his eyes
The ones that I've been seeking
The ones that never left my side
When I meet my maker
We'll walk on Heaven's boulevard
Up above the clouds
In between the stars
And I'll ask him all my questions
And he'll answer with a smile
I'll tell him how I love him
And I'll thank him for my life
Ooh, ooh, ooh
When I meet my maker
I'm gonna know it's the right time
'Cause he'll have a reason
And I'll understand why
He'll tell me that it's alright
I'll tell him how I miss you
He'll show me how to watch over
From the front row with the perfect view
Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When I meet my maker
Gonna ask him for some wings
He'll introduce me to his angels
In the choir, I will sing
He'll tell me that he's proud
And I'm probably gonna cry
He'll take my hand
And together we will fly
Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When I meet my maker
Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When I meet my maker
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