The Eulogy

My family has volunteered me to do the eulogy at my dad's celebration of life. I'm pretty nervous about it, but I know I have my family and RJ to take over for me if I can't get through it all. So here is the first draft! Let me know what you all think,and what should be changed or edited!

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

"All of you are here today because in one way or another, my father touched your lives. He was an amazing son, brother, uncle, father, grandfather,, and friend. His heart was so big and full of passion and love. Everywhere he went, whether it was to the bank or to the grocery store, people knew him and always struck up friendly conversations with him. He was a friend to all who met him and got to know him. My dad was the best father to my sisters and I. He gave us everything and more, and he loved the three of us with every fiber of his being-with every ounce of his soul. He lived and breathed fatherhood, pouring his heart and soul into all of us. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his family or friends. 

I am so happy to see so many of his friends here today. You are all the family he made for himself when he moved here to Oregon almost 30 years ago. Each of you made his life special and happy. I am truly thankful for the friendships you all had with him, and the non-stop love and support you have shown him and his family through all of this.

When my dad became sick and diagnosed with melanoma back in March we all knew he had a long, hard fight ahead of him...and fight he did. He underwent chemotherapy, 4 brain surgeries, and radiation therapy. He did all of those things with light in his heart and always a joke and smile to share. He loved to make the nurses and doctors laugh, and all of the staff at OHSU loved his personality and outlook on life. My dad was a good man. 

When his cancer began to worsen my dad fought harderand stuck out the rest of his chemo treatments. He kicked chemo's ass! In the end, the night that he passed away, he was smiling and making jokes. He was a fighter through and through to the very end...he definitely wasn't one to give up easily. Now he is pain free and I know in my heart that he is here with all of us today, comforted to see us all together in his honor, and possibly rolling his eyes at us, wondering why we went all out for him when he can't even be here to eat or drink with us. 

As this is his Celebration of Life, he will always be with all of us in our hearts and in our memories. We are asking anybody who wishes to do so, to please share funny stories, or good memories you shared with him over the years. One of my fondest memories with my dad is him making me watch Predator, The Terminator, Robocop, and Alien with him as a very young child. He instilled in me a very deep love for action and horror films to this day. 

My dad also used to read the Alice in Wonderland books to Kim and I before bed, and those books remain near and dear to my heart. 

I am so blessed to be a Stewart. Being his daughter has been a true blessing in my life. We had the best dad in the whole world-truly. He was not only my father, he was my friend. I couldn't have asked for a better dad. 

Thank you dad, for giving me love and advice when I needed it. For helping me with math problems and science problems. For cooking delicious home cooked meals and making sure we had our batman cereal every morning. Thank you for taking Kim and I "walking in the woods", and for taking us on picnics with homemade cold fried chicken to the Devil's Punchbowl and building sand castles in the sand. Thank you for taking us to Avery park and teaching us about life, plants, trees, and the seasons. Thank you dad, most of all, for teaching me how to be open-minded and to think for myself. For teaching me that individuality is a good thing, and that the Beatles truly are amazing, and that 'My Girl' is truly the best song ever written. 

You taught us love, tolerance, and acceptance. You shaped us into the women we are today, and the women we will become in the future. I love you dad, and there aren't enough words to ever express that to you accurately enough. I miss you every single day and my heart aches for you every single day. But I know all I have to do is look into my heart and you will be there, always and forever, by my side. By Kim's side. By Teena's side. 

Thank you for being the best dad anybody could ever ask for. Thank you all for being here to celebrate his amazing life. I'd like to raise a glass to Scott-May he Rest In Peace and live on forever in our memories."