Memorial website in the memory of your loved one

This website was created for our loved one Sean, to honour him and keep his memory alive. Sean was born on February 23rd 1986 in Plymouth, United Kingdom and was suddenly taken from us on March 3rd 2004. He was our first born son; he has a younger brother and sister, Mark & Chloe. We will love, miss and remember him always. It's hard to find the words to describe all that he was and all that he meant to us, afterall how do you capture Sean in a few words? You don’t, and I can’t. It’s a bit like trying to capture a moonbeam in a jar. He cast so much light in so many ways, in so many lives. His light went out, but he has left sparks of light in all of us: his love of mankind in general, his family and friends in particular.



Our hearts were broken,
the story is told.
Without the sunshine
the world is so cold.
We lost more than a son,
and a friend, and a brother,
more than a grandson,
a companion and lover.
A piece of us all
died in that car with you.
We still can't believe it;
how can it be true?
Even when the sun shines
rain pours in our hearts.
What purpose brings the end
so close to the start?
The lessons you've taught us
through death were uncovered,
and we hold you dearer now
in ourselves and each other.
The good things in you
through us must live on.
We just can't believe that you're gone.

Missing you Sean…so lost without you!
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Sean had just turned 18 when he was tragically killed alongside his 2 friends, in a car accident. He was on his way home when it happened, less than 2 miles from where we live. 

Nobody stops to think that in one single moment your whole life can change. No parent expects to outlive their children. We always thought we’d have a lifetime together – how wrong we were, losing Sean has taught us that nothing in life is certain, and that in one split second what we had assumed was the way in life things are…Never was. No words can capture our loss.

We still find it so hard to believe that someone we loved & cherished, with so many qualities, so much to live for and still so young - has been taken away from us. Our whole lives have been shattered, our hopes & dreams for the future crushed. He was an outstanding young man; with a ready smile and a passion for any activity he embraced. He was a ray of light - colourful, he glowed brightly and intensely. He was so full of life and energy. We love and miss him so much. He was not only our son & brother but our friend, our life, our joy, our laughter. 

Hundreds attended Sean’s funeral service. I don’t think Sean realised just how much he meant to so many. His best friend Sam & his girlfriend Becky read out moving eulogies, thank you so much for doing Sean proud I know how hard it was for you both. The deputy head of the school Sean attended, Mr. Scantlebury also made a lovely tribute to Sean, summing Sean up beautifully and managing to capture some funny moments too.  Thank you for that as they are all precious memories which we will hold onto. Someone many years his senior remarked to me after his funeral, what a bright, level headed young man he was and how they often used to engage on many varied topics of conversation – he remarked on what a mind of knowledge he had. He described him as “wise beyond his years but at the same time having a child-like wonder about him.”

Sean was on the brink of adulthood, he was just about to take his final exams. He was in sixth form, in his 2nd year of doing A levels, I know he would’ve got that modern apprenticeship with the DML following his chosen career path in mechanical engineering. Sean was fondly known as “Bean” to all his friends. The nickname started back in year 7 when he was 11, during a French lesson when he mis-pronounced ‘tres bien’ His mate laughed and pulled his leg about it and kept calling him Bean, and it somehow just stuck.

Sean had a girlfriend who he adored & lots of friends; he loved socialising and was always ready for a party! He had a little Clio 1.4 s, he loved his little car, was forever polishing, tinkering - and modifying it.  It was his pride and joy. You could hear him come up the road with his dance music blaring, BOOM BOOM BOOM! Since he was knee high to a grass hopper Sean loved football and for as long as we can remember supported
Manchester United.  As many of his friends including his dad supported different teams, there was often friendly rivalry and bets as to who would win. Most times Sean and his ‘team’ would come out on top. 
    
Not long after Sean passed his driving test at 17, he discovered a new found freedom and was always on the go – with things to do, & people to see. There was no holding him back! He crammed so many activities into one day; school, work, cruising around in his car, painting the town red, moving around within his different circle of friends and of course spending time with his family - always trying to give part of himself and please everyone. He lived his life to the max, there were never enough hours in the day. It’s almost like he knew he would not make old bones.

To say Sean was a very special person is an understatement. We’re not saying he was perfect…who is? But he had many good attributes. One couldn’t help but to like him, he got on with a variety of different people, old and young alike. His quick wit, friendly, easy-going nature appealed to everyone he met. Those closest to Sean also knew what a sensitive young man he was. Caring and thoughtful too – always prepared to go the extra mile to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. His caring qualities shone through. He had the gift which was the ability to support and help others facing difficulties and to be able to lift you up when you were down.  Sean grew into a well adjusted young man, he rarely had a bad attitude and wasn’t full of the usual teenage angst.

Sean was very laid back and had a straight forward approach to life. He was even-tempered and a peace-loving sort of person. He was not easily ruffled. He never liked it if you tried to hurry him, he would often tell me to stop ‘flapping!’ he just took everything in his stride and got there in the end! He never tried to be liked. He used to say, “I am what I am”. He never tried to impress, brag or have to prove himself in anyway. Sean had many comical sayings and ways which made him one of a kind & unique in every way. Sean had a good sense of fun about him, liked a challenge and at times could be mischievous – doing things which he wasn’t supposed to; anything with an element of risk attached to it – gave him a buzz, especially if he could get away with it. Sometimes that wasn’t always the case, like when he and friend misused the ICT facilities in school, and got excluded for a day.

Sean loved his family and was never embarrassed to show it. He had a lot of good strong family values and morals. We rarely ever fought and had a mutual love and respect for each other. We spent many happy hours talking and sharing our feelings, putting the world to rights or just 'pulling each others leg!' Whenever he was going out he would always say 'see ya later, love you'. I close my eyes and can envisage his emotional hugs & kisses. He was a very affectionate and loving young man. Sean had a close bond with his
Nan, they clicked from the moment he was born and shared a special love and understanding. He also had a way of working his Nan (in a nice way) Even when he was working part time earning his own money, he used his charms and managed to blagg 100’s of fags off her! Sean loved his food and his
Nan would often pamper him by cooking him a good meal – usually one of his favourite pasta dishes.

I can honestly say Sean had very few negative traits but if I had to find one it would be that he wasn’t a terribly organised person and was apt to being untidy and a tad lazy at home, probably because he knew Mum would do it anyway! It became a bit of a standing joke in our household, we could always tell when Sean was home he would leave stuff lying around everywhere, and he always ‘forgot’ to put things away. We used to call it the ‘snail trails’ at the end of it you would find Sean. Another habit he had, he used to leave things to the last minute, like coursework etc, Lol! He also had a tendency to live in a dream world, with his head in the clouds, and sometimes would be totally out of touch with reality. We had to remind him
to put his feet back on the ground. 

Sean’s time here with us was brief, yet very meaningful, as he made many positive and lasting impressions on all those he came into contact with. He touched the lives of many. He loved life and lived it to the full, he packed
more into his 18 years and accomplished many things – more than some people do in a lifetime. I once read this quote that says it all....We cannot, after all, judge a biography by it’s length, by the number of pages in it; we must judge it by the richness of its contents....Sometimes the “unfinished’s” are among the most beautiful symphonies....The measure of life, after all, is not its duration but its donation. We look upon his life as a gift to us. We would rather have had him and ‘lost’ him than to have never had him at all. He has enriched our lives in so many ways and made us the people we are today.

Although Sean’s death was sudden and came
as a shock to all of us, I know in my heart he would not want for us to spend forever grieving. Rather, Sean would want us all to remember what he was about & how he lived, not how he died. Sean’s philosophy in life was simple – live well, laugh often, love much. Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today. Never let the mundane obligations of life distract you from the cherished gift of family & friends. You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth. Make every day count and take from it everything you can.

We will never know why Sean was taken from us so soon, but if God had come to us before we had him and said, "I'll make you a bargain. I'll give you a beautiful, wonderful, happy and healthy son for 18 years, and then I'll take him away." We would have made that deal in a second. Even if the price to pay for that love is pain. So we thank God for blessing us with such a lively, loving son. We are eternally thankful to have had the opportunity to have been Sean’s parents. He was a wonderful brother to Mark & Chloe, and a generous, good friend to many. We are very proud of the person he was while here on Earth with us.

We know a time will come when the days of joy from having time spent with Sean will overshadow the sorrow of the short time and apparent unfairness of his death. He will never be forgotten, he touched many as he wove his threads through the lives of others adding to God’s tapestry, stitches that will never be undone, but will continue through all who knew and loved him. We will always remember him, his spirit lives on as we pass along
the love he so freely gave us, we in turn will freely give it to many others... 

Please take the time to light a candle for Sean so we know who has visited. If you would like to share with us any stories, thoughts, feeling or memories of funny/good times spent with him – it would mean a lot to us.  

Sometimes a stranger's words express our feelings more eloquently than we can ourselves. I would like to close by sharing with you a brief quotation that I came across when preparing this tribute to Sean:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."
  
                                                 
'God please hold my baby until I can once again.'
                                   

This candle will continue to flicker
in the memory of 
Sean Rice who left us on
 March 3rd 2004
You are missed  by all who knew you
A flame shines in the darkness, A single, flickering light,
A candle held in memory, Dispelling the darkness of the night.
A candle filled with memories, It speaks a loved ones name,
And shines a light for all to see, In a single, flickering flame.
Soon other candles join the light,Then thousands fill the sky
Illuminating the darkness, Proving  love will never die.



We walked together, you and I.
A mother and her son.
We had hopes and dreams for tomorrow,
But tomorrow didn't come.
We walked together, you and I.
We talked, we laughed, we loved.
We shared so many happy times
And for that, I thank the lord above.
We walked together, You and I,
But only for a short time.
For all too soon it ended
Leaving pieces of broken hearts behind.
And even though I miss you,
More than words can say,
I thank God that I got to walk with you
Every precious moment of every day....




  

I always knew I would look back on my tears and laugh, but I never knew  I would look back on my laughter and cry...

I will always cry sometimes Because I miss him.
But I will always laugh sometimes because I knew him.

If we could have you back for just one day
There would be so many things we would like to say
If we could just be with you for one whole day
To have you close and know that you really are okay.

If we had known that you would be gone forever
If we had known all these ties were going to be severed
If we had known the pain, the loss, the heartache
If we had known the difference without you would make
In the darkness you slipped away from us all
Now it's just your memories we have to recall
They say parting is such sweet sorrow
But it's the longing, the wondering, and how to cope with tomorrow
They say grieving a child is the very worst
Because life's plan is that parents should go first.

Now all we have are memories, the good times we had
We spend so much time in tears and pain, and feeling sad
So if we could have you back for just one day
You could let us know how to cope till that judgement day
When we'll be together as family once again
When we'll be happy and free from all this pain..

Oh! It's so hard to live when your child has to die
We spend the rest of our lives trying to say "Goodbye."

All I ever hoped for
Was to be there if you needed me,
Now I must find the faith
That you are soaring in places
New spaces I simply cannot see.

"Christopher Robin?," whispered Pooh. "Yes, Pooh Bear?"
"I'll never not remember you...ever."


The Jelly Bean Poem

  

RED
Is for our love for you that will never sever.
For love is not measured by the time we had together.
But whats in our hearts forever.

GREEN
Is for memories that we always will treasure.
Although time may pass.
Our memories will last
Forever and ever and ever.

YELLOW
Is for Sunshine that you have gave to us.
You brightened up our lives and made our world shine
And will continue to shine brilliantly for the rest of time.

ORANGE
Is for the candles flame we light in memory of you.
Flame that glows so bright as we speak your name in prayer.
Asking God to hold you close.
Until we join you there.
 

BLACK
Is for grief from our broken shattered heart.
Taking each day one at a time.
As we keep your memory alive.
Life is different.
I am different.
But we can and will survive. 

PURPLE
Is for tears we shed as we remember you.
Precious memories you left behind.
Preserved deep inside.
You will always live on through our family.
Forever by our side. 

WHITE
Is for our hope and faith in God above.
The promise of resurrection.
Knowing we will reunite.
Above the clouds.
Over the rainbow.
In His everlasting light.


PINK
Is for the signs you send from Heaven up above.
Lighting our path wherever we go.
And whatever we may do.
SEAN
We will ALWAYS love.
And ALWAYS remember you. 

 In Loving Memory


Of

My Dear Aunt

Jean Haigh

Who passed away on
Thursday 26th February 2009
Aged 85 Years

RIP

My tribute to my Auntie Jean read out at her funeral service...

I wrote a letter to my Aunt capturing some of my thoughts and memories which I would like to share with you all.

Dear Jean
I feel so desperately sad you’re no longer here with us, but I also feel relieved for you, that you no longer have to endure suffering and pain. You meant the world to me you weren’t just my Aunt but my friend too. I know how much you adored Mark and me, from the moment we were born to your dying day we were the apple of your eye. There wasn’t anything you wouldn’t do for us, you always made us feel loved and wanted. You treated us like a son and daughter and our children like your grandchildren, always remembering birthdays, Christmas and Easter giving them presents. You may have been pocket-sized but you had a big heart. In essence you were a good person, caring and thoughtful towards others, you were the kind of person that would think about other people before yourself, you never liked asking for help but were always ready to lend a helping hand, reaching out to those in need.

I will always have a picture of you in my mind sitting in the kitchen with the ‘wireless’ as you would call it, listening to radio Cornwall, looking out the window onto Seaton Country Park, watching the world go by. You’d often be having a crafty fag or two, before Dad got home, much to his annoyance. He always used to moan about your vice ever since he kicked the habit. Your face would always light up when I came through the door, you would say, “Oh, am I pleased to see you, put the kettle on!” We forged a close relationship especially when you retired from working in the shop. We spent endless hours talking; you were always a chatterbox, loved people and socialising when you got the chance. You always had a story to tell and loved to know what was going on, you were a naturally curious and inquisitive person. You also had a quality about you, not only did you enjoy engaging in conversation but you were a good listener too. I lost count the number of times you just listened as I unburdened my problems, and all the times you comforted me following my dark days after losing Sean.

I will always remember you had a great sense of fun about you. You were always game for a laugh. I would often pull your leg or make a funny remark and you were always quick on the uptake. I loved to hear that hearty giggle of yours. You kept your sense of humour even in the final months when your health started to deteriorate and you would often get muddled and confused. I remember when Nick and I were with you one evening and we were in your room at Hillcrest. Whilst we chatted, Nick was watching the TV programme, ‘After You’ve Gone’ starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, you said “Isn’t there anything better on?” To which I replied, you could always turn over and watch ‘One foot in the grave’ joking of course, but you caught on straight away and saw the funny side and it tickled you pink and you let loose with that unique laugh of yours. You said something to the effect like “Jannette, what are you like?” I hope you don’t mind me saying this Jean, I won’t go into detail, but I recall some really funny moments, in days gone by on our trips out together, when you had one too many!

There was a serious side to you too and you were renowned for being a worrier. I would say worrying won’t change anything, it’s like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but won’t get you anywhere. Of course you knew that was true but it didn’t stop you. I would often come down; sort paperwork out make phone calls for, you would say “Never fear, Jannette’s here!” It was the least I could do for you. You were always so grateful for everything I did. Throughout your lifetime you did many kind acts for others and were generous to good causes, but not many knew the extent because you never boasted about your good deeds.

I will remember you as being content with the simple things in life, you were never one for material things, you were happy with what you had, people not possessions was what mattered. You always took delight from the small pleasures in life, like when one spring day driving through the lanes, out on our weekly shopping trip to Morrison’s, you would point out and admire the natural beauty of the bluebells and primroses in the hedgerows; always one to appreciate the small wonders of the world. You were easy to please, there wasn’t a bad bone in your body and you never spoke a bad word about anyone. You rarely ever complained, not even when the cancer took a hold, I will always admire your fighting spirit.

You always knew I had strong spiritual beliefs. We often talked at great length about the afterlife, especially since I lost Sean 5 years ago; we both know death is not an ending but a new beginning. I always used to say when your time on earth is done; you will see for yourself all this is true. I used to tell you there will be no more worries or pain only unimaginable beauty, love and light. There is no doubt in my mind where you are at this moment.

You will always be a part of my heart and soul, and I will cherish my memories of you forever. Good-bye for now Jean as I continue my journey. You were a wonderful Aunt I will always remember you with great love and affection. Thank you for your unconditional love, and always being there for me. I am going to miss you terribly, until we meet again.

P.S. Jean, please do one last thing for me, don’t forget to send me that sign and give Sean a big hug for me.

Your loving niece, Jannette. 

 

 

To Our Dearest Aunty Jean,

Thank you for all the things you have done for us. You were more to us than just our aunt, you were like our second mum. No matter what was going on, you were always there for us. Even though you are gone, you will remain in our hearts. We know you were in pain, but God has you now, and you don't have to suffer anymore. We'll cherish your love forever, your smile and voice we'll miss each day. But you taught us to always stay strong, so we will do just that!  We love you...

Jannette & Mark xxx

Tributes and Condolences
I Miss You Bro! x   / Chloe (Sister)
I miss you so much sean, words really cant describe how much you mean to me. I always think about you and our memories of when you used to take the mick out of me, calling me chunky and beefy log etc.. and also when you picked me up from school after...  Continue >>
5th anniversary ~ 3rd March 2009   / Mum
While we are apart ♥ღ♥ My darling Sean, distance may separate us, but my heart will never let you go, for I carry a part of you with me always. It keeps me going through the day. It brings a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. It is...  Continue >>
Today Is My Birthday...   / Sean
Today is my birthday Celebrate my life with you And remember the good times Not the bad and Do not be sad; Look up towards the sun And catch every ray of light Upon your cheek. For I am there with you. Today is my birthday Be happy for me I lived a...  Continue >>
Happy 23rd Birthday Sean! ~ 23.02.09   / Mum & Dad
This day will be a celebration of the short time you were here. You will always be remembered with great love and many tears. But to only feel pain and sorrow would not be fair to you. Your life meant so much more to us, more than words could say. Yo...  Continue >>
Click here to pay tribute or offer your condolences
His legacy
Gone Too Soon...  



"Gone Too Soon"

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Sean...  

SLEEP WITH A SMILE!  



YOU'LL ALWAYS BE YOUNG
MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD,
LIKE A SONG TO BE SUNG
YOU STAYED FOR A WHILE.

THOUGH YOU HAD A SHORT LIFE
IT WAS A LIFE TIME FOR ME
YOU MADE ME SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY

I THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE YOU GAVE
FOR THE SMILES AND LAUGHTER
THAT WILL NEVER FADE

YOU WERE A PART OF ME AND I
A PART OF YOU
FOREVER AS ONE
YOU WILL BE FOREVER YOUNG! 

TIL WE MEET AGAIN
"SLEEPTIGHT SWEETHEART"
LOVE & MISS U ALWAYS
MUM XXX

No Words...  

 

No words capture him


No quote suffices


No image is complete


Yet he was


Yet he is


Yet he will be


Forever…

More of his legacy...
 
Sean's Photo Album
Sean 1 day old
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