A DAY OF REFLECTION SAYING FAREWELL TO OUR FATHER IVAN…
IT WAS A LOVELY SERVICE AT PORCHESTER CONDUCTED BY MALCOLM WHO WAS COMPASSIONATE
AND HEARFELT, I Read my speech,
IVAN TO MANY, DAD TO US CHILDREN...AND HIS FAVOURITE NAME POPPA TO ALL THE GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
HE WOULD BE VERY TOUCHED THAT DANIEL AND MARK RICHARDS BOYS, HAVE FLOWN OVER FROM DENMARK IN RESPECT OF RICHARD FOR IVAN. ALSO LYNDA’S CHILDREN SPENCER AND CLAIRE BEING HERE.
IVAN WAS BORN JUNE 20TH 1928 IN GREAT YARMOUTH,
THERE WERE 5 CHILDREN TO DAVID AND DAISY WILLIAMS
DURING THE WAR YEARS THEY MOVED TO LONG EATON WHERE HIS FATHER WAS STATIONED A SERGEANT MAJOR IN THE ARMY, AFTER THE WAR THE FAMILY MOVED BACK TO NORFOLK, WHERE IVAN STARTED HIS APPRENTICESHIP IN ENGINEERING BEFORE JOINING THE ROYAL NAVY
HE SPENT 8 YEARS IN SERVICE ON NUMEROUS SHIPS , WHICH HE LOVED, ESPECIALLY HIS TIME BASED IN MALTA, DURING THIS TIME HE MET OUR MOTHER DORIS THEY MARRIED AND THE FAMILY BEGAN
LYNDA, RICHARD WERE BORN WHILE HE WAS IN SERVICE, 1954 HE LEFT THE ROYAL NAVY AND STARTED HIS LAND CAREER AT THE PORTSMOUTH EVENING NEWS WHERE HE STAYED UNTIL 1970 JANET MYSELF AND PAUL WERE BORN DURING THIS TIME . 1970 OPENED A NEWSAGENTS IN SOUTH-SEA
BUT IN 1971 THE MARRIAGE HAD BROKEN DOWN AND IVAN STARTED HIS REMAINING WORKING LIFE IN THE NAVAL DOCKYARD UNTIL HE RETIRED .
IVAN
A COLOURFUL CHARACTER, FULL OF FUN A WICKED SENSE OF HUMOUR SAW THE FUNNY SIDE IN EVERYTHING EVEN WHEN INAPPROPRIATE, EMBARRASSING A CHARMER AND A HUGE FLIRT ..
LOVED A GOOD DEBATE AS LONG AS WAS RIGHT ,TOOK PRIDE IN HIS APPEARANCE ,ACTUALLY WAS VAIN,
WE TEASED HIM FOR HOW HIS HAIR WAS STILL NEARLY BLACK IN HIS 70’S, HIS PRIDE AND JOY AND DENIED IT BEING DYED . EVEN IN THE LAST DAYS HE WAS STILL TOUCHY ABOUT HIS HAIR . PAUL used to joke Ivan dressed in his white jacket was mr Delmonti .
IVAN WAS A GREAT NATURAL DANCER , HE WAS PROUD OF HIS SISTER ELAINE WHO WAS A PROFESSIONAL DANCER AND MOVED TO CANDA,WHICH OPENED THE DOOR FOR THREE OF US TO FOLLOW THE FOOT STEPS IN THE DANCING WORLD . HE SUPPORTED RICHARD AND PAUL IN THE PASSION FOR FOOTBALL,PLAYING SNOOKER AND HIS BELOVED SPURS ..
HE COULD BE STRICT AND IVAN’S WORD WAS THE LAST WORD ,SO WE ALWAYS HAD RESPECT FOR HIM ,HE TAUGHT US TO HAVE A SENSE OF PRIDE IN OURSELVES,
WE ALL HAVE OUR SPECIAL MEMORIES OF HIM ... PAUL MY BROTHER AND I OVER THE PAST MONTH HAVE SPOKEN FONDLY ABOUT DAD , THE FUN ..LAUGHTER and His Craziness
ALWAYS COMES AT THE TOP OF THE LIST … A SPECIAL MAN.
On behalf of LYNDA RICHARD JANET PAUL AND MYSELF I would like to thank Terry and especially Paul Shorten for the care,Love and support they gave Ivan,
and hope DAD is reunited with all his loved ones Joan,Lynda and Richard
I would like to read a poem
which I think is very much Ivan by joyce grenfil
IF I GO BEFORE THE REST OF YOU
BREAK NOT A FLOWER NOR INSCRIBE A STONE NOR WHEN I’M GONE SPEAK IN A SUNDAY VOICE BUT BE THE USUAL SELVES I HAVE KNOWN
WEEP IF YOU MUST PARTING IS HELL BUT LIFE GOES ON
SO SING AS WELL .
DEAR DAD WE ALL LOVED YOU God bless
