In loving memory of Thomas Cooper 'Tomas' who sadly passed away on 15th February 2017, aged 70 years
Tomas, who I believe is still with us, in another shape, another form, another sense, another world, is a man of many colours….
He is Red for passion
Blue for calm
Yellow for fizzing sun and joy
Green for the love of nature, the trees, the birds
White for the owl that is in his heart
Purple for hot nights by the sea.
A natural gentle man.
A lover, a father, a brother, uncle, friend - a traveller, a healer, a technician, a gypsy boy ...... a story teller, spinner of yarns and laughing tales, tall stories and short words, a man of quiet faith who loved his sons Ben and Matthew and was always sorry to be so far away from them, and who loved Rima and his friends with a determined passion. A truly majestical person.
A man who could make you feel humble with a few quietly spoken but heartfelt and well-chosen words in a moment of crisis or empathy, with a just heart, a quick mind, a generous soul.
He can make music with his smile and his mischief.
He has a giggle that would make anyone giggle, especially when laughing half way through his own tales.
Tomas discussed his funeral before he died, and chose the music he wanted us to play for him. He wanted a simple ceremony, and for us to be full of thanks for the joys we all shared. He had plenty of time to plan, as he fought his valiant and long battle with cancer and stretched his love and his days as long as he could. He was always a stoic man, who gave much to those around him even in his last days. I know that Tomas was looking forward to being reunited with his beloved son Matthew, and was truly sad not to have a chance to say goodbye in person to his other beloved son Ben, so far away in Australia, to mend old bridges and build new paths, but I also know he believed the chance would come in another lifetime.
He suggested I write a limerick for the funeral, a slightly irreverent and very Tomas like request. I wasn’t ever really sure if he meant it, but anyway, I did. It is hard to summarise a life in 5 lines, but here goes:
Young Tommy was made in Gravesend
And then through the world did he wend
From Spain south to Oz and the seas and the sun
He loved much and many stories were spun
And he meant so much to us all in the end.
I can’t finish without referring to the great love that Rima and Tomas shared. I know the thing that was hurting Tomas in the end was the thought of leaving his beloved Rima, soulmates, lovers, friends, partners – a true enduring love. The only thing we can know is that they will be reunited one day, and of that I know he will be so glad. I am sure that one day, just like the mythical owl and the pussy cat, they will in some mystical place, again dance by the light of the moon.
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