(Read for Luke's Memorial service 16 February 2013 at St. Elizabeth Seton Ann Church, Houston. Possibly adapted or modified otherwise for one or more readers and this might not necessarily be reflected here) Background Luke Athleston Lamm was born 23rd December 1924 in the village of ‘Old Road’, St. Ann parish, Jamaica and departed this life 23rd December 2012 in Houston, Texas, USA. In that long span of 88 years the arc of his life rose and rose from humble beginnings through to World-War II serviceman in England, back to Jamaica as a Distiller, Bookkeeper and Farm Manager, through to his retirement years. The wealth of his long and very full life experiences will be detailed at another time, not today. Luke was the first child born to Ethel Maude Marnon and an immigrant Chinese father, who gave his married name Lamm. His siblings were Uclin (deceased), Mansang and Benson. He took an early interest in books and was known to take his mother’s donkey to market, perched atop, busily reading. At the market his provisions spread out around him he would still be reading. But he was sharp, you could not fool him with the wrong change. Early Years He was only nine years when his father perished suddenly, plunging his family into hardship. As the eldest, much responsibility fell immediately upon his shoulders. Remarkably for one so young he immediately accepted his new role without once complaining and he quickly matured as a young man. This rock-solid sense of responsibility was perhaps Luke’s most defining characteristic and greatest strength. For the remainder of his life Luke would be a man you could rely on, his word was gold and his mother knew she could count on him always. It was this sense of duty, loyalty, responsibility and accountability that saw my father leaving for England at the start of the Great War where he serviced army vehicles and planes. After the war he stayed behind to finish up his schooling in Accounting, all the while sending a generous portion of his wages home to help support his mother and brothers. The Family Man Luke was completely devoted to his wife Beryl (deceased) and she to him as long they lived. They met not long after he’d come back to Jamaica, living in Kingston and looking for supplies for writing to his mother in the country. Beryl was in many ways his better half, and would help shape his life for better the remainder of their lives together. Together they bore my siblings Elizabeth, Raymond, Peter and Douglas. Luke loved, knew and understood each of his children to the nth degree. He knew whatever we needed and gave unstintingly, we all felt his affection. He thoroughly believed in the value of education for all his children. I know personally for a fact, he would if necessary deprive himself and give his last penny to any of his children in need. One of his cardinal rules was ‘You must go to school no matter sickness, storm or broken leg -- only exception if you are dying’. Luke was a man of deep Christian faith. As an adult he and his wife converted to Catholicism, and for a year they put aside night-time household duties and weariness to complete their training in Roman Catechism. He and Beryl remained steadfast in faith all their lives and were regular churchgoers. This is just one of the reasons I am certain he and Beryl will be together again in Heaven. Luke had a great sense of humor, countless times he was able to make us laugh even in the face of adversity. His was gentle and friendly, sometimes teasing but never cruel. One of his favorite greetings was ‘May God bless you and the Devil curse you’! You should know this -- deep down in his heart Dad really loved people, he cared and he wanted to understand. His love went above and beyond his own family to any person or creature needing help. Permanently seared into my memory forever, was the day Dad rescued our dog Rangoon, found dangling on a barbed-wire fence and ripped open from chest to groin. Holding the dog tenderly to his chest he brought it home and lay the creature down on the kitchen floor. When he got up, his short-sleeved light-colored shirt, arms and face were covered with blood, a very shocking sight to a small child. How my father nursed that animal back to health remains a mystery to me, a minor miracle. It was an inspiration to all of us. So big was his heart Luke never hesitated at all, to accept Paul B.. and Richard S. into his home just like his own and for years Winston lived with us. Absolutely there were no regrets and he was blessed many fold later on, for the generosity of his spirit. Dad always believed in community, a sense he was part of something bigger, that whatever good -- small or large, he did for others always mattered, here and in heaven. I am proud to report his altitudes have helped shape all our lives and I will be eternally thankful for his memory. We who were very close knew -- but it may surprise some, that Luke loved poetry and was capable into his advanced years of reciting whole stanzas from well-known works. Two of his favorites were Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and this: Daffodils I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed--and gazed--but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. William Wordsworth (1804) In closing let me emphasize that Luke was a gentle giant of a man, small in stature but large of heart. He was responsible, caring and loving to the very end. He loved beautiful, joyous things but was always practical and realistic. He touched our lives in countless ways for the better and we will always be grateful. We miss you Luke and will cherish you in our hearts forever. May we meet again on Heaven’s threshold where I am certain, the angels are now rejoicing.