How to Write a Eulogy: What Would Dad Say?

Jo Haycock's latest Natural Connections feature

When my sister and I recently sat down together to write some words about our dad, to read at his funeral, we knew it would be one of the most emotionally challenging things we could ever do.

We’d each scribbled personal notes about him, and we’d even taken on well-meaning advice such as, ‘Just remember, everyone loves a shout-out at a funeral.’

He embodied family and love. He kept things simple, yet applied his unique logic to most things he approached in life. Being a photographer himself, he became my greatest advocate in my own photographic practice, always wanting to hear of latest projects and the first to be my creative muse. He was my sister’s proofreader in her dissertation and thesis, which often resulted in beautifully heated and academic differences of opinions. He was the great love of our mother’s life.

So, as we sat there a little longer, lost in thought about how to begin putting pen to paper, we looked at each other. “What would Dad say?” we asked.