My goodbye speech

Early last Monday morning, I received the telephone call that we all dread receiving informing me of the passing away of my beautiful Mother Gabriele.

As with all of you, this came as a total shock to me not least since it was so unexpected – she was living life to the full and seemed so happy and fulfilled.

Indeed, the very day before she died she commented what a special day it was and was once again high from her drug of choice – mother nature, with whom she had a very special and intimate relationship, from the smallest delicate flower to the largest tree.

The star that is Gabriele Evelyn Christine Jarrett was born on the 20th March 1945 in a small town called Bad Hall in Austria.

Her date of birth was most apt since this day that usually marks the beginning of spring which was her favourite season and she always marvelled in watching the flowers bloom at this time of the year.

The daughter of war refugees fleeing what was then referred to as Prussia, she spent her formative years based in Düsseldorf, Germany which is where they settled.

Her first encounter with our green and pleasant land was when she was a young adult and came over to work as an au-pair and to master her command of the English language.

It was during this phase of her life that she met and married my Father, a union for which I shall always be eternally indebted and owe my very existence to.

This period also marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair with this country.

Whilst the relationship with my Father did not endure, her relationship with the United Kingdom did, and after a relatively brief spell back in Germany, she then moved and settled here on a permanent basis.

Gaby was essentially a people person whose open spirit and friendly manner towards everybody including strangers was remarkable and noticeable - not least since nowadays such behaviour and openness towards people is regarded with suspicion. Society in general is lacking in such warmth towards our fellow neighbours , and could do with more people like her.

Young or old, rich or poor, black or white, Gaby often touched the hearts of those she encountered thanks to her generosity of spirit and larger than life exuberance which was positively infectious.

A rebel at heart, she despised conventiality and would always seek out the extraordinary as opposed to the ordinary.

Her hunger for knowledge and love of words were another hallmark of Gaby who more often than not had a dictionary and thesaurus close at hand to help satiate said hunger.

It is said that youth is a state of mind, and Gaby radiated a youthful exuberance that would sometimes make people half her age seem docile by comparison.

She lived life to the full and her lust for knowledge and personal growth and improvement never waned and indeed arguably grew in recent years.

The film industry was one of Gabriella’s many passions and she was a keen and enthusiastic background artiste allowing her to actively participate in it. Through this, she met a large and diverse cross-section of like-minded individuals, and this career path allowed her to experience many facets of the city she loved so much.

Gaby was a selfless individual, her regular blood donations and recent decision to help London’s homeless this Christmas being just two examples of this.

Another would be the fact that she recently contacted the council here in Richmond to adopt a Lime Tree which was recently planted in the street just outside her home.

She was also a keen and active member of the Cannons Gym here in Richmond, and would attend it regularly and was a popular figure there.

The last time I saw my beloved Mum was at the somewhat unromantic setting of the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex on the 15th August this year.

I will eternally grateful that we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with one another and that I told her that I love her very much indeed.

At this difficult time, I can draw much strength from a touching card that she sent me on the occasion of my Birthday last year.

Written in her native German, she simply wrote “Alle Schoenheit, alles Gute, viel Gelaechter, und vor allem Gesundheit” which translated means “All Beauty, all the best, much laughter and above all keep healthy”

The irony of the last sentence is not lost on me and this message will serve as a template for the rest of my life.

Thank you Mum for being such fun and generous of spirit. Your beauty both internal and external will never be forgotten.

You were one of a kind, and I shall always be proud and grateful of having the privilege of being able to call you my Mother – may you rest in peace.