demoneyes_phil

And so we said goodbye to Keris. We were lucky with the weather in that it didn't rain (barring a very few spots as we walked back) though it was more than a little on the COLD side, the site being lovely but rather exposed to a distinctly brisk wind, especially when standing still for a fair while. And those who had been fooled by the brief sunshine earlier or just a desire to show off their black t-shirts into discarding coats or jumpers probably came to regret it!

The turnout was ... pretty darn impressive for a midweek funeral a goodly way from where most attendees live. I counted something like 80 people there which simply speaks volumes all by itself for what Keris meant to our community (and others). And that was with several other people who desperately wanted to be there laid low by illness (and given how cold it was I think you all made exactly the right choice, however much it hurt not to be there). It also made me very proud to be part of such a circle of friends.

There were lovely eulogies from Mike, Rika and Keris's boss; singing of "Many Hearts, One Voice", to the German recording, by way of letting his many friends there be here too in spirit; and then rounding off beautifully with one of the NMC's favourites, "Chocolate is a Vegetable", to put smiles back on people's faces. I could have wished for more voice, a lurgy having quite disabled my upper range (and added a few notes on the bottom) - then again, perhaps there's a certain appropriateness to singing it as a bass on this occasion!

And in honour of the man, there were black t-shirts galore. Obliter-8 and Phoenix were perhaps most common, but also a goodly sprinkling of other filkcons including Quinze and Conthirteena. Fun, but oh so appropriate.

If there can be such a thing as a good funeral, then it was.