The Power Of Eulogy

The Funeral and Celebration of Life for my mother Irene Reilly is taking place today at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chilliwack, BC. I want to share with you, the Eulogy that I wrote in her memory.

Where does passion come from?

Some say that passion can be realized through living ones’ values and the values of Irene Reilly were Commitment, Dedication, and Duty.

My Mother was born to Emily and John Dargue in Scunthorpe, England in 1920.

I am sure that Commitment, Dedication, and Duty played a huge role in supporting her family when her Father John, a magistrate passed away at the young age of 55 when the world economy collapsed in1929. Irene was only 9 years old.

It is believed that passion enters through the wound and while it is my belief that my Mother never really got over the pain of the early passing of her Father, she turned the passing into passion.

Passion helped to fuel Commitment, Dedication, and Duty and the passion to help others inspired my mom to become a nurse by 18 in 1938 where she served in England through the Second World War.

My Mother and Father met after the war and my Mother converted from Anglican to Catholicism. They were married in England in 1949 and her Commitment, Dedication, and Duty to my Father’s dream carried her through when she didn’t really want to leave England. We sailed for Canada on my second birthday in 1957 after the passing of Irene’s Mother in 1956.

Irene continued with her nursing career in Vancouver from 1957 – 1959 while my Father tried to find his way in the steel mill less Vancouvertown.

Commitment, Dedication, and Duty played a huge role when we moved to Chilliwack in 1960. Irene worked with my Father in a metal salvage business from 1960 – 1965 in conditions that were just short of horrible. I can recall a freak accident where she nearly lost her leg from severing the main artery in her leg.

Commitment, Dedication, and Duty where inspired by attending St. Mary’s from 1960 onwards and through singing in the Church Choir and as an active member of The Catholic Women’s League.

My Mother’s Commitment, Dedication, and Duty inspired my Mother to teach me my manners and she imparted on me the appreciation for cinema and theater. My best memories of my Mother are the times when she took me to see special films like Dr. Zhivago and The Mikado. 

My Mother rejoined her passion to help others in 1966 when she went back to nursing at Chilliwack General Hospital and worked until she retired in 1975. She lived her retired years in Chilliwack in service to St. Mary’s and The Catholic Women’s League until the passing of my Father John at 85 in 2003.

After the passing of my Father, my Mother settled into Logan Manor in Agassiz where she experienced the tranquil life that she deserved.

I would like to thank the management and staff of Logan Manor and Glenwood Care Center in Agassiz where my Mother was cared for from 2005 up until her passing.

I’m thankful that my Mother’s Commitment, Dedication, and Duty to help others created some good Karma in that she did not suffer horribly from a debilitating illness, but rather she lived until the ripe old age of 90 and passed away quietly in her sleep.

They say that wisdom enters through the wound. God only knows how I found myself to be a financial advisor business coach, speaker and writer.

My Mother passed away on Tuesday, April 27^th right after I finished a speaking presentation to Macquarie Private Wealth Inc. and I had two more speaking presentations to deliver the same week for Canada Life on Thursday and again on Friday.

I thought how can I find the energy to deliver the Canada Life presentations on Thursday and Friday with my Mother’s passing on my mind.

At the same time thinking, “what if I break down in front of the audience”, because part of my presentation includes a story about my Mother that goes back to when I was 8 years old.

Like my Mother and her instilled Commitment, Dedication, and Duty, the passion to help others inspired me to go out and deliver two excellent presentations that made a difference in people’s lives.

God Bless Irene Reilly.