Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)
~~~~
You can view the Order of Service HERE
We invite you to join us to celebrate the life of Thomas Aceicao Fernandes
Funeral
Date: 05/08/2022Additional Info:
Wake
Date: 05/08/2022Additional Info:
Dear Emma, Cheryl & Family, John & Family, Manuel & Family,
With sad hearts, we send our condolences to you all in the loss of Thomas.
May you all be overwhelmed with peace and comfort as you look to the memories you have of Thomas.
May Thomas rest in Peace +
Paul and Ursula Victor
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
When I look back at our time working together in the CAA I do so with great affection and the fondest of memories.
As a work colleague he was diligent, reliable and unimpeachably honest. He always took pride in what he did and in all the years we spent working alongside each other I don’t think we ever had occasion to exchange a cross word.
Always impeccably turned out, he may have appeared stiff and somewhat serious but in truth he had a wicked sense of humour and my recollections of those times are of an office filled with fun and laughter and of Tom engaging in the office banter from behind his ledgers and mountains of petty cash vouchers.
As a friend I remember listening as he told me about his earlier life in Goa and of the joy his family gave him at home. He always struck me as such a fortunate man in that he appeared to have found a place of real contentment in his life that few us attain. I found him to be warm, loyal and genuine, the true embodiment of a generation that may have passed but will be very sadly missed.
Good-bye my friend and may angels speed you to your rest.
I was lucky enough to work alongside Tom at CAA House. A very kind and thoughtful colleague, blessed with a sunny disposition, his intelligent diplomacy resolved many a tricky situation. He put others first; often when he saw me struggling he would whisper “You need a break now! ” and simultaneously place a cup of soup in front of me at just the right time to lift my spirits. Let’s also celebrate his warm sense of humour which put smiles on our faces. A dear friend and colleague, Tom will be remembered with much affection by the many people he generously helped along life’s path.
It was with a heavy heart that I received the news of the demise of our dear Thomas Fernandes. Though Thomas lived a long life, had been sick and homebound for a long time, when I heard of his death, I was deeply saddened. Death, at whatever age it comes, is always a sad feeling. Our emotions are mixed — on the one hand we are sad, pained and unable to cope with the grim reality of death; and on the other, we are happy that his sufferings have come to an end.
I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to you all – Emma, Cheryl and family, John and family, Manuel his brother and their family, and to all those who mourn his demise.
As we say the final goodbye to Thomas, I want to pay homage to him on behalf of the Monteiro family. When I was a child, my parents (now deceased) would speak about our neighbours to us and Thomas and Manuel always figured in their conversations as “very good boys.” However, my association with Thomas, Emma & family began in December 1991 when on my way back to India from the US, I stopped over in London and came to know this wonderful family very closely. My parents were deceased by then but Thomas would talk very lovingly about them and the ‘good old days’ and about many people in our Ward. Over the years we have stayed in close touch, even though I am in Agartala which is 3,000kms NE from Goa.
We miss Thomas but are grateful for his exemplary life as a devoted husband, a loving father, and a generous friend. Today, as we confine his mortal remains to the earth, I can truly say that he has fought the good fight and is now in the bosom of His Master. I entrust the soul of Thomas to the mercy of God. May the Lord welcome this faithful steward in His peace and in the joy that never ends! Rest in Peace our dear brother.
Yours in sympathy. +Lumen, CSC
Dearest Ema, Cheryl, John and all of Thomas’ family.
Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us everyday,
Unseen, unheard and always near.
Your loved one’s spirit will still be there with you
Especially in quiet moments
May you’ll feel the healing power of happy memories.
Our most heartfelt words may not ease the pain you are all going through right now
None the less, may it help to know that we care and think of you all with deepest sympathies and humble prayers.
In our cherished memories of Thomas, we will always remember him as a gentle, humble, soft spoken, loving and God-fearing man. May the good Lord grant him everlasting peace.
Dear Thomas, gone from our sight and touch, though never from our hearts.
Adios Amigo
With all our Love
From John and Alzira D’Souza
Brisbane, Australia