Darryl Blakey’s Last Ride

Darryl died, at home, on January 19th 2007 after a long battle with cancer.
His funeral/wake was held at home with a gathering and ceremony at the park opposite.
Here mourners begin to queue to come inside to pay their final respects.

An altar was created by the window in the front room where Darryl died and was bought home to be received by hundreds who came through to pay their respects. It is a very beautiful room that Darryl painstakingly restored. Everyone looked around in awe at what he had done and I have now claimed this space as my personal living room.

As people first came in to the room Monika had Danny Boy playing on repeat.
As I was receiving the last of the people she had Loreena McKennitt’s The Visit playing.
Those who went further in to the house heard Frank Sinatra’s I Did It My Way playing on my computer.

Take the time to sign the book by commenting here and make sure to view the archive collection of love that has been showered upon Darryl and I. I feel very loved and that is a priceless gift.

Darryl’s coffin was draped with Ulysses flags. His helmet, glove and coat, together with a memorial Greg had made were arranged on it. As people lit candles some were placed on the coffin. That is a Chinese fisherman’s coat and hat on the wall behind.

Lois Daley and I had been with Darryl until the end. Lois was the truest of friends. Here we are having a quiet moment before everyone arrived.

I spoke and then read the Prayer of St Francis.

A moving part of the service was the presentation of ‘Walk in Beauty’, an exquisite Native American earth verse that has given me great comfort over the past fifteen years as we went on our ‘roller coaster’ ride.

The Commital – Readings from James and
The Lord is My Shepherd

To the left you can see people on the side of the road watching as the procession began, with Bad to the Bone blasting from a biker who rode right up to the hearse before we took off.

Here I am ‘frocked up’ wearing Darryl’s helmet and leather jacket. Ray Herd and I led the procession with our son Greg and our Tom, Greg’s friend since kinder.

The cavalcade went around the round about, stopping at our front gate so that Darryl could get one last glimpse of his home. I am told that there was not a ‘dry eye in the building’ at this point.

Monika supporting me moments after I came back and got off the bike. We look as though we were touched by angels and I know I was.