Valerie Kelway R.I.P.

 

Valerie was my sister.

 

Thursday before last at about 11 pm I received a phone call from Val’s husband. “She’s gone” he said. “Can you make the phone calls?” I did.

 

Her illness was vicious, brief and brutally finaL There was nothing that could be done. In my more lucid moments I can console myself that at least this showed its own mercy but that is little consolation right now.

 

Val was a keen amateur singer and had a beautiful singing voice ~ so much so that she used to compete in competitions of the barbershop style which I believe is more accurately referred to as close harmony singing; she belonged to a group called The Mayflowers. Her cremation was today. There was some singing. It was at once the saddest and most beautiful thing I have ever heard.

 

She leaves a husband, son, daughter and 3 grandchildren who will all desperately miss her as will Mum, my two brothers and I.

 

I wish she was still here.