Celebrating Harry's life, 10 August 2008

Dear friends and family,

Over the next little while, we'll be posting pictures and stories and poems and prayers and tributes from the two celebrations that marked our beloved Harry's life. Both celebrations were held on Sunday, August 10th. The first one marked Harry's cremation and began at 10 am at Aubrey Park playground, just a few blocks from Harry's home and a place he loved to play ...

On the way to Aubrey Park ...

Aubrey Park was especially appealing to Harry because it's right next to the loop where the #10 Wolseley bus turns around. That meant that Harry could play on the swings and in the grass and revel in the sight of buses waiting to leave at their scheduled times ...


Harry's love of buses began when he'd wait at the front window with Mummy and Lydia at the end of the day, watching for Daddy to get off the bus. It grew from there to an intense and infectious delight any time he'd catch sight of a bus on the Wolseley route.

When Uncle Gareth told Harry's story to the lovely people at Winnipeg Transit, they put their heads together and took just three hours to produce the authentic and personalized bus stop sign that Henry and Cynthia and Lydia are holding in this picture. The sign has all the components of a regular bus stop: a name right at the top, in this case, "Harry's Stop," and in the bottom left hand corner, where you'd otherwise find the number to call to determine when the next bus will arrive, the Winnipeg Transit folks have inserted Harry's own arrival time, April 4/07.

Henry and Cynthia are deeply appreciative of the wonderful reminder this sign will be, of Harry's undiminished joy each time he saw the bus.



More than a hundred friends and neighbours and family members (some who'd arrived in Winnipeg just in time) joined us for the celebration itself. Among other moments:

Mariah smudging ...

Geir and Jim playing and singing while the youngsters blow bubbles.