Father's Funeral Eulogy: Major Keith McGrath (1921-2015)

Gavin's father, Norman Keith De Mainson McGrath whose given name was "Keith" & who was also known as "Mac," was a retired army officer. His father was admitted to a Sydney nursing home in Nov. 2012. During the first part of 2015, Gavin was involved in matters dealing with his beloved earthly father's admission to hospital on 2 separate occasions, 1st in Feb. & after his 1st discharge again in Feb. till his 2nd discharge in March back to the nursing home, where he fell on life's battlefield on Thurs. 9 April 2015, aged 94, & was buried on Wed. 15 April 2015. The funeral service was taken from the Anglican 1662 Book of Common Prayer Burial of the Dead Service, & was conducted at St. Matthew's Windsor in western Sydney from the reading of John 11:25,26, "I am the resurrection & the life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: & whosoever liveth & believeth in me shall never die;" till the end of the reading from the Authorized Version of I Cor. 15:20-28. Then this eulogy was given by Gavin, followed by a brief statement by the Minister, & the Grace from II Cor. 13:14. Then the cortege proceeded to the cemetery of St. James' Pitt Town, where following a 10 minute address by a Returned & Services League representative from Winsdor RSL, the Book of Common Prayer service continued at the graveside from, "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, & is full of misery. He cometh up, & is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, & never continueth in one stay." Gavin preaches this eulogy in willing submission to the 5th commandment of the Holy Decalogue, "Honour thy father" (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2).