Brian Rodrigues R.I.P 1938 – 200809:43 Sep 22 2008
Times Read: 866
I lost my step father last Thursday. My Uncle Brian.
Where to start ..........
Following the collapse of my parent’s marriage my mother moved in with him taking me (the youngest of three boys) with her, I was seven. My eldest brother was at Yeshiva in the States at the time and my father had custody of my other brother.
I never did really call him ‘dad’ he was always ‘Uncle Brian’. A man of discipline and of great moral values, he was a catholic but never to any religious extreme. Full of integrity, he basically taught me all that I know, an educator. A former Cambridge student, passing with honours. He was a husband, a teacher and father to me and grandfather to my daughter. I was his only child although I was never formally adopted as this would have spurned all sorts of complications besides, I’m still close to my paternal father.
Brian came to this country following a horrific motor bike accident which left a friend dead and another with one eye. He broke his back in the collision which left him disabled till the day he died.
What makes this more tragic was that at the time of the accident he was in training for the 1956 Olympics which would have been in Melbourne, Australia.
His mother, my Nan, was from an island called Goa in the Indian Ocean. When the Portuguese navy made their base there his father stepped off one of the ships, he was an officer making his last voyage. On this trip he met my Nan and so began a great love story. Get this ... they had 14 children, with Brian being one of the youngsters.
A decision was made to emigrate following his accident and the growing troubles that followed the way the British partitioned this great continent. So they found themselves in England.
But I digress – sorry. I kinda get melancholy and think back on all the stories he would tell of those troubled yet happy times. A totally literate man, I wish I had inherited his skills. Instead I inherited over 80 first cousins. Lol .... It does make me smile, even now. He supported me through my Bar mitzvah; now that was something ... he just pretty much supported me in everything that I chose to do. Sure there were bad times too, but most families have their ups and downs. He was a disciplinarian but always with love.
When I was a little older and heart break found me at the hands of yet another failed relationship, he obviously saw my despair, I asked him how he made it all work, how he fitted the different cultures, moods and hassle that surrounded him into his routine, how did he do it? It couldn’t have been easy marrying my mum, a divorced Jewish woman with ‘this’ kid. He would just say that ‘’it was near on impossible to understand your partner fully, but try to share in all the things that you do understand’’.
Did I mention he taught me to fly a kite ..? lol, I still have such wonderful memories. We would drive up to Alexandra Palace and grab a Wimpey (like a McDonalds) and we would ..... Just happy memories.
VR, there is so much I could share with you about this great man but I just want you to know that a truly great man has now left this world. If much of what I’ve said sounds jumbled and inappropriate then so be it, I have no impetus to correct anything or place it in any particular order.
Is all I know is, he will be loved and missed.
Psalms 90:
The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
COMMENTS
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MysticMoon
10:01 Sep 22 2008
*hugs
Sinora
10:58 Sep 22 2008
I'm sorry for your loss...but thank you for sharing a piece of him, through your writing with us...he was a grand man...rather like yourself. *Hugs*.
LadyDarkRayne
15:05 Sep 22 2008
:: gives ya big hug :: im sorry hun.
Oceanne
17:45 Sep 22 2008
Im sorry to see this and very sorry for your loss.Thank you for sharing.
DarkRuby
14:13 Sep 23 2008
Sending ((HUGS)) of support. Thanks for the beautiful write-up on your step-dad/uncle!