Remembering DAD

It is with great sadness that we announce that our Dad - Maurice Reese - passed away on July 14th.  His funeral is today in Utah.  We are especially sad that we were not able to attend the funeral but we know that we are well represented there by several of our children and grand children.  We are extremely grateful for the opportunity we had to go to Peter's Wedding in April where we were able to spend a week with Mom and Dad.  We feel the Lord is ever mindful of us and let us have this week with Dad.

 Checking out Peter and Ashlee's new apartment.

 Dinner the night before the wedding.

 Waiting outside the temple while pictures were being taken.

After the luncheon.

A Tribute to my Dad at his funeral

On the day that my Dad passed away I wrote the following feelings in my journal:

I can only think of the great joy he is experiencing as he is meeting his parents and his brothers and sister.  I’m sure he is having a great time talking to all of them.  He loved to visit and I can just see him visiting with everyone he knew who had passed on before him.  This past week he met a man in the hospital who looked exactly like his best friend growing up, Lynn Peacock who had died a number of years ago.  I can just see them up there slapping each other on the back and hugging.  I do not feel any sorrow at his leaving, yes I will miss him, but I am so happy he is in a much better place and his earth life trial is completed.  His legacy is the great example of his service he gave to others.  “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

President Thomas S. Monson quoted the following poem at President Hinckley’s funeral.*  I hope I’m ok in quoting it here today.  This was written by President Hinckley.

What Is This Thing That Men Call Death

By President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)

What is this thing that men call death,

This quiet passing in the night?

’Tis not the end, but genesis

Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch Thou my aching heart,

And calm my troubled, haunting fears.

Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,

Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change

With recompense for victory won;

The gift of Him who loved all men,

The Son of God, the Holy One.

Thanks Dad for the example you are.

Love your Son.

*“God be with you till we meet again” April 2008, Thomas S. Monson

E. Reese and I have been sharing our good memories of Dad - here are a few:

- After Sunday dinner, Dad and I would go to choir practice - we both loved singing in the choir.

- When any grand child got old enough to play in a band - Dad would get out his old cornet and the 2 of them would play their instruments together!

- He would laugh so hard at slap-stick funny movies - he was funnier to watch than the movie!  (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World)

- Went pheasant hunting together and caught a lot of birds - then realized we had gone 1 week early!

- He was a crack up playing 'Old Man with a Stick and a Staff'!

- Before our wedding, I was trying on Mom's wedding dress that I was going to wear - Dad pulled out his old navy uniforms and he and Dave were trying them on.  Dad was pleased that he could still button them!

- He grew lots of good things in his garden - my favorite were the boysenberries.  He would pick lots of big bowlfuls and I would get some and make jam and pies - yummy!  He gave me starts and we have had them at all our homes.  Picking boysenberries will always remind me of Dad.

Before we left for our mission we were staying with Mom and Dad.  On the night before we checked into the MTC, Dad gave each of us a beautiful Father's Blessing.  We are grateful for the kind man he was - we will miss him and look forward to seeing him again someday.  We are so thankful that we understand our Heavenly Fathers plan for us.