I mentioned this in my note earlier, think I should upload this...for memorial's sake...
A Eulogy for John (21st November 2008)
Good morning friends,
Today, we gather to pay our last respects to our comrade John Jook Akuach To see such a huge congregation is a comfort and encouragement. I thank you all for making time to come.
For me, it has been five days of sadness, questions and even anger… Anger, because of the awareness that the continent of Africa, even the world…has been cheated of a fine young man.
A man; with dreams, potential, prospects…and the kind of determination and commitment that would have enabled him to achieve every dream and meet every target.
Nevertheless; I find solace in the belief that it is not the length of the life that matters but the depth…and those who knew John, I believe, can testify that he indeed lived his life deeply.
I will be the first to admit that writing a eulogy for John was not easy…because, how do you do justice to the character that we remember today in ten minutes or less???....
And yet, I will attempt…and I hope that my few words will ably represent the man with whom we lived, studied, fought and worked. The man we loved.
John:
An enormous capacity and will to live. There are few people alive that I know, who live as energetically as he did.
John:
A tumult of courage, passions, sensitivities, hopes, fears and abilities. His greatest ability was in perseverance. Never giving up on anything he had set his heart on. On one occasion he said, concerning a matter that was pending; “No Retreat, No Surrender!”
John:
A fighter, a fearless warrior. He said to me once…unless a man undertakes more than he can possibly do, he will never do all that he can.
John was, and in our hearts will remain, intelligent, witty, articulate, wise, honest, fore sighted and brave.
Rest in Peace John…it’s been said: good men must die, but death cannot kill their names. Your name remains in our minds, in our hearts and on our lips…in your honour.
Goodbye my friend.
A Eulogy for John (21st November 2008)
Good morning friends,
Today, we gather to pay our last respects to our comrade John Jook Akuach To see such a huge congregation is a comfort and encouragement. I thank you all for making time to come.
For me, it has been five days of sadness, questions and even anger… Anger, because of the awareness that the continent of Africa, even the world…has been cheated of a fine young man.
A man; with dreams, potential, prospects…and the kind of determination and commitment that would have enabled him to achieve every dream and meet every target.
Nevertheless; I find solace in the belief that it is not the length of the life that matters but the depth…and those who knew John, I believe, can testify that he indeed lived his life deeply.
I will be the first to admit that writing a eulogy for John was not easy…because, how do you do justice to the character that we remember today in ten minutes or less???....
And yet, I will attempt…and I hope that my few words will ably represent the man with whom we lived, studied, fought and worked. The man we loved.
John:
An enormous capacity and will to live. There are few people alive that I know, who live as energetically as he did.
John:
A tumult of courage, passions, sensitivities, hopes, fears and abilities. His greatest ability was in perseverance. Never giving up on anything he had set his heart on. On one occasion he said, concerning a matter that was pending; “No Retreat, No Surrender!”
John:
A fighter, a fearless warrior. He said to me once…unless a man undertakes more than he can possibly do, he will never do all that he can.
John was, and in our hearts will remain, intelligent, witty, articulate, wise, honest, fore sighted and brave.
Rest in Peace John…it’s been said: good men must die, but death cannot kill their names. Your name remains in our minds, in our hearts and on our lips…in your honour.
Goodbye my friend.
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