Immaculate Heart of Mary - 27th February 2018
Thank you all for coming here on this cold morning, to say goodbye to my Father,
Patrick Grennan.
I have a lot of happy memories of Dad and I hope that as I share a few of them with
you, you will be reminded of your own memories of him too, and maybe discover a
few things about him that you perhaps didn't know.
Dad was a great believer in bettering oneself and it was his view that there was
nothing more valuable than education, in whatever it was that you concerned yourself.
This conviction, combined with his passion for languages and love of teaching is what
drove his lengthy career in Linguistics and led him to him to spend his lifetime
passing on his knowledge to others.
Dad was still teaching right up to the end.
He always considered himself extremely lucky to be able to attend University and
receive a good education at a time when most others didn't, and he never forgot that.
Dad was always ready to share his luck and privilege by helping others whenever he
could; as a child I remember what seemed like an endless succession of friends and
family that would come to see Dad, to ask his advice and guidance on every subject
under the sun, and he would always furnish them with his sage counsel readily and
freely.
Dad was always highly respected by everyone that knew him and his reputation as a
wise, patient, generous man, was well deserved and stayed with him throughout his
life. Unlike so many of us, Dad never lost the dignity with which he always conducted
himself. He was an example of how polite and respectful we should all be to each
other. He was a true gentleman.
Most of you know that Dad was a Master of countless modern languages, but if he
were here today and he heard me saying that, he'd clutch his chest as-might Julius
Caesar when betrayed by his friend Brutus, writhe in well-practiced anguish for a
moment before gasping '…My dear boy, surely you meant to say ALL modern
languages…).
He'd then remind me that as Caesar was using the vocative form to directly identify
and address his friend in a spoken sentence, Brutus would have been pronounced
Brute… but it was OK, as even Shakespeare got it wrong from time to time.
Dad was particularly skilled in European languages and was adept at providing the
origins and history of modern words, including people's names, giving the original
meaning in Ancient Hebrew, tracing its evolution and usage through Europe in the
Middle Ages, and finally concluding with its Anglicisation to become what we now
know today as the simple and ever popular 'Dave'.
Dad's favourite way of amusing himself was to correct at every opportunity French
native speakers on their mis-pronunciation… of French…
Dad had an amazing memory and capacity for learning, and loved sharing his
knowledge of historical events which he was somehow able to recollect and describe
in minute detail, and he enjoyed regaling us with his very long, meandering stories
which always included names, places, dates, times, and all other pertinent, and
sometimes forensic elements.
But for those of us that knew him closely, we'll remember that he had a deep
appreciation of truly old languages: Latin, Aramaic, Sanskrit and Ancient Greek being
his favourites. I'm not at all certain that he could read and translate hieroglyphics, but
it wouldn't surprise me at all.
Dad loved his old horror movies and I remember as children, George and I watching
with Dad, many films from the golden age of cinema such as 'Frankenstein' and 'The
Mummy'. At the end of the film, he'd chase us around the house slowly, arms
outstretched and affecting a perfect limp, finally catching us with a big hug.
He also enjoyed a bit of comedy too; 'The Phil Silvers Show' featuring Sgt Ernest
Bilko was his favourite, and he loved the 1951 version of 'A Christmas Carol', where
Alastair Sim played the eponymous Scrooge and would count his gold and refuse to
put the heating on.
It was probably these two characters whose inspiration was the spark that ignited his
love for Investing, and although he lamented not discovering the stock market earlier
in his life, he quickly turned dabbling in shares into a successful enterprise that
provided him with a great sense of achievement and held his attention for many, many
years.
But unlike Scrooge, Dad was generous beyond measure throughout his life and he
worked very hard to ensure that we always had everything we needed.
Another strong memory of dad was his constant tinkering with those old cars such as
the Morris Minor and the Austin Cambridge, which never seemed to run properly but
were of course much more reliable that that bloody ford escort that he had in the 80's.
I'm sure that Dad will be remembered by everyone in their own different ways. Some
will remember him for his quirky sense of humour, his overly cautious driving, or that
enormous laugh that used to come booming around the house when he was watching
Dave Allen, or for telling them how they can become a millionaire by the time they
were 40, and perhaps even for his reluctance to put the central heating on, citing it as
a huge and unnecessary waste of money.
You may remember his partiality to a good 15 year old Malt whiskey.
You may remember his phenomenal knowledge, sharp mind and good sense.
You may remember him for being able to tell you what 'Gandy Dancers' did and why
you don't need them anymore; which 315 entries in Webster’s Dictionary were
misspelled; or that Judge Judy makes $45 million a year… and how she could double
it if invested properly...
My daughters will remember him for constantly offering to help them with their
French homework; for giving them some pocket money each time they could beat him
in a game, and for asking them to solve mathematical problems about two trains
departing from Leeds and London at the same time but with different speeds…
You may remember him as a friend, a teacher, a brother, a husband, an uncle, or a
grandpa.
But I'll always remember him for being my Dad; Always there and now terribly
missed.
Finish off with a poem chosen by Dad's Granddaughters (Katie, Holly & Bethany).
You Meant So Much - by Cassie Mitchell
You meant so much to all of us
You were special and that's no lie
You brightened up the darkest day
And the cloudiest sky
Your smile alone warmed hearts
Your laugh was like music to hear
I would give absolutely anything
To have you well and standing near
Not a second passes
When you're not on our minds
Your love we will never forget
The hurt will ease in time
Many tears I have seen and cried
They have all poured out like rain
I know that you are happy now
And no longer in any pain.