Henry P. Tarrier, 1943 2018 When Speech was given Monday, June 18th, 2018 11:00am Location Plains Cemetery, Westford VT On Tuesday morning, Marys dad unexpectedly passed away at home, aged 74. This whole week has been a blur of getting Mary up to Vermont to her family, then the kids and I following. He had wanted a very simple funeral, but as a 31-year veteran of the Army National Guard, received full military honors at his burial. Were still processing through feelings that are quite raw, and Ill be sharing more about that as time progresses Im sure, but today I wanted to share the comments I made at his graveside funeral as a way of honoring the only other man I ever knew as Dad. I want to thank the members of the United States Army for their service today in honoring Dad and his 31 years in uniform. Ill let them honor that today; my role today is different, to share a few words about Mike in all his other roles, husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. I knew Mike only 28 years, and I got in trouble before I even met him, when I didnt come out to the house to meet him when I met Mary for our first date. I remember having to go through initiation with him as Mary and I dated, with his brothers Chuck and David grilling me on life, career, politics, everything, as Mike just sat back and watched, wondering if this one will be good enough to be worthy of being part of the family. Because for Mike, everything began and ended with family. His wife, Sandra, and he were married for over 50 years; their devotion is a model for us all. They were absolutely inseparable, did everything together, which was a hard lesson for Mary when we married, that occasionally a husband may want to do something different than his wife. He loved his girls, and it absolutely broke his heart every time Mary and I left to drive back home to Virginia. I just want to say a few words about the character of the man that we honor today: eight of them, in fact. I wont say Dad was stubborn, but Ill say he was determined, and he had a very definite sense that there is a right way to do things. He was persistent, he never gave up trying to figure out a fix for something around the house. He worked with his hands, doing simple, honest work; he didnt have to be a General, he was content with who he was. He was selfless in serving others, which we saw both in his career choice and in how he sacrificed to make sure his family had everything it needed. He had a tremendous heart for others, one that had a quiet depth to it. He might not speak often, but when he did, his words conveyed meaning. There was a genuineness to him that meant what you saw was what you got, there was nothing artificial about him at all. And he was a man of character and integrity, a wholeness that everyone came to understand. We marked Fathers Day yesterday (its not right to say we celebrated it, given the circumstances). To become a father is fundamentally a foundational act: you are establishing something you intend to be permanent, to live on forever. Mike lived a whole life, devoted to establishing something permanent, and as he would look around today at everyone gathered here, I believe he would feel he was a success. Who a father is, his values, he hopes will live on after hes gone. I believe Mikes will, because of his grandchildrenand its with them that I want to close today. I want the four of you to know, to never doubt, that you were loved by your Grampa, that he was incredibly proud of you. And, everything weve talked about here today about him, lives on in you. Naomi, you are persistent. You didnt give up on college, you went back to classes this year, and I know that made him proud. You are also incredibly genuine. Your Grampa lives in you. Monica, you have such a heart for others, and a quiet depth about you. You have your Grampas heart. He lives in you. David, you too are called to work with your hands in simple work, and you are becoming a man of incredible character and integrity. Your Grampa lives in you. And Sarah, I wont say that youre stubborn, but I will say youre determined, and that you also know theres a right way to do things. And your selfless serving of others is reflected in how you serve the Lord. Your Grampa lives in you. At our funerals, the stories that are told wont be about how early we walked, or our grades, or that time we stayed late on that project, or made this incredible Powerpointnone of the things the world says are important. Instead, the stories that will be told will be about the life we lead, our values, and the legacy we leave behind in our children and grandchildren. And so, as we commend Mikes remains to the earth and his soul to his Lord and Saviour, we reflect on the legacy of the man it was our privilege to know and to love, and we celebrate how he lives on.