For papa, with love

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Europe » Netherlands » Gelderland » Gaanderen
January 9th 2014

Published: January 15th 2014

My dad died. He died on Tuesday the 10th of December 2013 from lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain. This blog is about that event, but mostly it is about my father and it is dedicated to him and his life. For most people he was a friendly man, or a good colleague and friend, but to me he was papa. This simple word conveys everything that he was and still is for me.<a name="_GoBack"&g... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 78, Displayed: 21

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Bangkok 1975

Bangkok 1975

Back to Thailand again, my dad having lunch with my sister

Home 1976

Home 1976

At our current house in Gaanderen, after returning yet again from Thailand. My dad repairing a grass cutter, my brother and I watching him (I am the butt-naked one).

Haute Volta 1976

Haute Volta 1976

Haute Volta 1976

On assignment in what was then known as Haute Volta in Africa, it is now called Burkino Faso.

Sri Lanka 1978

Sri Lanka 1978

At the open fire in a bungalow on the tea-plantation in Sri Lanka.

Home 1979

Home 1979

Home again, celebrating St. Lucia (a Swedish tradition).

Home 1980

Home 1980

Visitors from Sweden, my mothers parents and her brother and his wife

United Kingdom 1980

United Kingdom 1980

United Kingdom 1980

Our summer holiday to Great Britain, on Hadrian's Wall.

Thailand 1981

Thailand 1981

One last time we returned to Thailand, living there for a year.

Denmark 1982

Denmark 1982

Trip to Legoland in Denmark

Bangkok 1982

Bangkok 1982

My father kept working in Bangkok

Italy 1983

Italy 1983

Summer holidays to Italy, at the leaning tower of Pisa

Thailand 1984

Thailand 1984

My mum visiting my dad in Thailand in 1984

Greece 1985

Greece 1985

Summer holidays in Greece

Bangkok 1986

Bangkok 1986

Dad still in Bangkok

Spain 1986

Spain 1986

Summer vacation to northern Spain

Yugoslavia 1987

Yugoslavia 1987

Yugoslavia 1987

And our 1987 summer holidays, to what was then still Yugoslavia.

Finland 1988

Finland 1988

Trip to Finland, we went all the way up to the most northern part of Europe in Norway.

Trivandrum 1988

Trivandrum 1988

Trivandrum 1988

On assignment in India, outside his office.

Switzerland 1989

Switzerland 1989

Switzerland 1989

On the slopes

Sweden 1989

Sweden 1989

New Year's dinner in Sweden at my grandparents

Pakistan 1990

Pakistan 1990

Visiting my dad in the summer of 1990, we went up the Karakorum Highway to the Chinese border

15th January 2014

Home 2013

Linn
non-member comment

Pappa
You've put in words how we all feel. It is a beautiful tribute to Pappa. Both Jan and I are so thankful that you were able to help Mamma and find it such a comfort that you both were there with Pappa at the very end. Love you loads, Linn

15th January 2014

Home 2013

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you Linn
Couldn't have done it without Jan and you. Love Ralf

15th January 2014

Kuan Yin
Karen Johnson

Thank you
Your father's wanderlust lives in you. My father was in the merchant marine, and loved travelling the watery parts of the world. He married my Danish mother, and settled in the US, but I'm not sure that he wouldn't have been happier had he continued his sea-faring life. When he died he was cremated. I've been scattering his ashes in bodies of water around the world ever since. Karen

15th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks
We haven't decided what to do with my fathers ashes yet. We will decide sometime in the summer, when my brother and sister will come for home leave.

15th January 2014

denidax
Deni, Dax and Ella

so sorry
I'm really sorry for your loss... from the photos, it looks like your Dad had a well-lived life, something that, unfortunately, not everybody can say, I hope that's what will stay with you and your family once the pain has gone away a little bit...

15th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
Yes he made the most out of his life, and it gives my family and myself a lot of comfort to know that.

16th January 2014

Home and Away
Bob Carlsen

Your blog is a beautiful tribute to your Dad...
Someone once said that a man dies twice. Once when he dies physically. And the second time is the last time his name is uttered. So it's true that he lives on in his his family and his projects. Reading your blog reveals many similarities between our upbringing...I also was born in Thailand and spent my youth in Southeast Asia and travel the world with my Dad who was a passionate traveler. My Dad passed away on August 2, 1988 at the age of 66 after spending the day hiking with our family in Rocky Mountain National Park. We also mourned his passing at such a young age. In our case, we knew we would see him again in heaven...as you said, faith can bring peace. I look forward to your blogs from Peru...we plan to be there in September.

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks
Perhaps the saying should be changed to incorporate the newest technology, a person dies thrice. Once when he dies physically, a second time the last time his name is uttered and the third time with the end of internet. Because these days everybody has a profile online.

16th January 2014

Danielle
non-member comment

With love to you and your family
Thank you for sharing your experience Ralf despite the sadness of your situation. A family of travellers, an honest story of a good man. I love the old photographs too. X

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you Danielle
I guess writing this blog was another way for me to come to terms with my fathers death. It helps me cope in a sense. Glad you liked the old photo's.

16th January 2014

aspiringnomad
Jason

Immortality
As you said, your father lives on in the genes and traits of his offspring, but also the projects he has completed, the people he has helped, and touched, and the memories they share. And now thanks to this honest and reflective blog your papa lives on in us too. Thanks for sharing, Ralf.

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks
Yes, I suppose my father has now spread out over the internet as well, touching even more lives, through this blog.

16th January 2014

Terry
non-member comment

wonderfully down.
I just finished reading your tribute. It brought a tear to my eye. It was wonderfully written. In one sense he will live on for as long as his memory is alive and well in those that knew him and loved him. It seems he lived a long and fulfilling life. My condolences to you and your family. T

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
I am glad the blog touched you. Yes his life certainly was fulfilling, though I would have liked it to be longer...

16th January 2014

Mick Emrose
non-member comment

Condolences
Hi Ralf, sorry to hear about your loss. I appreciate how fortunate it was that you could be there for your Pappa at such an important time, we lost our elderly mother on the 2/1/14 and though we'd all been hovering, only my sister was their at the end and I missed by 2 minutes. Your tribute is an inspiring read, truly your Pappa lives on in you, if those photos are anything to go by. Thinking of you mate.

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you and condolences back
I am so sorry for your loss, and I am very grateful that in a time like this you still found the time to read my blog and comment on it. Glad that your sister was there in the end, even if you just didn't make it for those final moments. It is always a comfort to know somebody was there at the very end. My thoughts are with you.

16th January 2014

GRACIELA
non-member comment

LIFE.......
Your description of your father makes me remember that all the families experience similar things. It´s life, just that. Hugs from Argentina.

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks
Yes it is life, and a part of the cycle of life. It is the hardest part of that cycle, but it is inevitable.

16th January 2014

D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley

It is how we deal with our mistakes that we are remembered for
What a wonderful tribute to pappa. These memories will comfort you in the days and weeks to come. You will realize he is always with you--His legacy lives on, the genetic material, the things he taught. I'm thrilled to hear you'll travel to South America with your mother as you say your father would have loved that. One of the greatest gifts from our point of view is he taught you to travel, to embrace and understand others.... to be comfortable in this big world.

16th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
Yes, he is already always with me. I think about him all the time in one way or another. And I am looking forward to the upcoming trip as well, visiting places he would have wanted to visit. Like this he will in a way go to them, only differently than he or any us could have imagined.

16th January 2014

AnnaW travels
Anna Warzala

Really sorry for your loss...
What a beautiful way to say goodbye to your dad... It is sometimes difficult to put in words how we all feel in moments like this but you have done it incredibly... Thank you for sharing his life with us. Wonderful collection of old photos as well... Wishing you lots of strength...

17th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
I'm happy that I was able convey my feelings through this blog in a way that others would understand.

17th January 2014

Jaunty Jul
Juli Lek

Thank you for sharing
It is such a wonderful tribute to your dad. It was so beautifully written. Thank you so much for sharing your story, love and pictures of your family. Your dad is a great person. His legacy and memories made with you will help you through this time. Do take care and travel more. I look forward to read more of your trip to South America.

17th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

And thank you for reading and commenting
I will continue travelling, my father and mother's genes have ensured that.

17th January 2014

Jo Trouble
Jo McCarthy

A touching tribute
My sincerest condolences Ralf, and thank you for sharing your papa with us. As someone told me recently when my aunt died, "Death ends a life, but it doesn't end a relationship".

17th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks Jo
True words, the relationship won't end until I die.

18th January 2014

JohnCalwell
John Calwell

Beautiful
Hello mate. This brought a tear to my eye, and I am sure it did for many other who have lost a loved one. Thank you. John

18th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
Yes, I suppose the feelings will sound familiar to those who have gone through the same.

18th January 2014

Beata and Tomek
us At Home Abroad

Really Sorry
sorry for your loss:-( What a beautiful tribute though - made me feel like I got to know your dad and the family And the photos complement the story so beautifully as well. No wonder you have such a travel. Take care! Beata

18th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks Beata
Indeed, the travel bug was passed on from one generation to the next.

20th January 2014

The Travel Camel
Shane Dallas

A beatufiul, touching tribute
Ralf I am deeply sorry for your loss - words seem so inadequate. My father died of a brain tumor in mid-2010 - he had just turned 73. Similarly, his situation deteriorated rapidly. It would be great to finally meet you on the road to share our experiences - including a discussion about death, and what, if anything, is afterwards. Nando Parrado was one of the rugby players who survived for 72 days in Andes after their plane crashed into the mountain. In his book "Miracle in the Andes" he wrote the following: "Death has an opposite, but the opposite is not mere living. It is not courage or faith or human will. The opposite of death is love. How had I missed that? How does anyone miss that? Love is our only weapon. Only love can turn mere life into a miracle, and draw precious meaning from suffering and fear." It was Nando's love for his family that drove him to survive in those cold and dark days. Remember that if dark days meet you at any time in the future, that love surrounds you from your family, your friends and from the virtual community that is Travelblog. Take care.

20th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you Shane
Your words are certainly not inadequate, in fact, nobody's words are. The mere showing of sympathy through a kind word is enough, in that respect even one word could do the trick. I am sure we will meet up one day, somewhere on a dusty road, in a far flung corner of this planet. The odds are in our favour I would say, seeing that we both are constantly on the move. And when we meet we can talk about death, but mostly I think we should talk about life, because life is the more important of the two. I will never forget the love that surrounds me. It is impossible, it is what sustains me, keeps me happy when I travel. I am constantly aware of it, and of how lucky I am to have a loving family and friends whom I can count on.

22nd January 2014

Dancing Dave
David Hooper

In honour of Papa...in memory of...
Please accept my condolences for the loss of your Papa...clearly loved...clearly a father of whom you are proud. Yet in your reflections...your emotions...your beautiful words...I could feel pride...not just in your father\'s achievements...but in your relationship with him. Your blog honours your father. He would be proud of you Ralf. You have done what I believe a loving son should do...you have honoured your father as best you know...in your case preserving his memory with the written word. His memory will endure. You his son has made sure that it will do so. Time will heal...may your memories of your father continue to be warm...in honour of him.

23rd January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks Dave
Yes I am proud of my dad, of all he did, of who he was. We had our differences for sure, but he made it possible for me to do what I do, and despite my choice not being the easiest for a parent to accept, he did. Not just my dad, but also my mum. Really, I am proud of all my family.

24th January 2014

Rat on the Road
Kris and Kate

Tribute
A truly lovely tribute to your papa. His story is an inspiration to live life to the full. Sorry for you and your family's loss, but a great idea to continue his last trip with your mum.

25th January 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thank you
Yes, I am glad to be able to make the trip he planned with my mum. The upcoming blogs will be about that.

11th February 2014

Bill Richards
non-member comment

Very Touching
What an incredible photo journey of dad, this is truly amazing I know he would be proud of you.

11th February 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks Bill
It was nice to be able to write about him and do this. Writing is something I love and to be able to write a tribute about my dad was amazing. Also brought back many nice memories.

12th February 2014

Josevich
Josevich

so sorry for your loss
Its great that you wrote about it. I'm sure it was therapeutic for you to reflect on his life. Beautiful story, the life of your dad.

12th February 2014

His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze

Thanks
Yes it was therapeutic for me. I also talk about it a lot, it helps.

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