Few words in the vernacular excite the mind more fully than the word “SOLD” when seen on a real estate yard sign. Naturally the owners and their agents have already shared the intelligence. For the rest of us – that is, those outside looking in; or, in our case, those inside looking out – the notification constitutes a favourable domestic remark regarding commerce and current economic buoyancy. As a former real estate lawyer I can attest to the fact that nothing contaminates the business world more toxically than prolonged yard signs accumulating tall blades of grass. A professional client of mine for example had the disheartening experience to withstand upwards of four years of economic stagnation before her otherwise charming solid-brick home finally slipped into the economic stream. For even those who, during the same period, sold at a loss in order to facilitate purchase of a new home in Europe, the SOLD sign on their property was at the time and in retrospect a welcome alternative. The machinery of the world functions far more appropriately when the word SOLD is visited upon the equipment!
The added element of today’s welcome sale advice (emailed to us by the agent and echoed by the timely amendment of the yard sign) is that it signals for us the end of apartment showings and triggers our unique focus upon moving into the new place. And while I won’t say there was ever any doubt regarding the ultimate sale of the apartment, there are few things in life which more suitably convene themselves with effervescence than the image of progress.
By curious contradiction, while scribbling these notes, I received an email from C. R. Gamble Funeral Home & Chapel Inc. advising of the death of a fellow and including the obituary. Motivated by intractable human curiosity – as I did not know the name of the deceased – I read the obituary written by his brother. The obituary apart from having been a stunning example of literary skill more importantly captured a jot of Canadian history specific to this geographic location. As the obituary is currently published on the internet I presume my entitlement to repeat it (below). And while we’re at it, for the same reason, I’ll include my response.
I confess I am tweaked by the collision (or perhaps less harshly, by the confluence) of SOLD and OBITUARY. While one proclaims life’s elevation, the other hushes up life’s demotion. Such is the inescapable binary nature of life and death. Not only do these polar extremities exist, they are reciprocal, sometimes good, sometimes bad. And they each serve a reminder of life’s inexpressible beginning and end. Yet on occasion the outcome of retail success or the life well-spent are synonymous expressions of favour. Being blessed from beginning to end is hardly something any reasonable person would normally endorse but for some it is tangible. As I have so often repeated, the Masonic verse, “Life teaches us how to die”, is not unexpectedly becoming a matter of increasingly proximate concern. If indeed it is true (as I have every reason to believe it is) it then becomes a matter of expediency only; and, in that regard I am prepared to dedicate myself to the critical and defined process to exemplify my lifetime of commitment just in case the obit doesn’t pay off.
OBITUARY
My name is Peter Combellack writing about ny brother Richard Alan Combellack late of Upper Dwyer road Carp.whossdly passed away on Saturday the 16th July.
Alan as called him was born in 1937 in Truro Cornwall his early years including the war years he lived in Penzance Cornwall
After the war the family moved to Plaidy near Looe all in a farmhouse with no electricity upstairs and an very cold basic outside toiler at the end of the garden,things. slowly got better in the next few years.
Alan always interested in technology he used to listen to the radio on a small crystal set he made,the aerial going 50 feet to the end of the garden hanging on a washing line.
He attended a local junior school and passed his then 11 plus exam he was the only student to do so in the entire school he then attended Liskeard grammar school attaining various school certificates at both ordinary and advanced level.Growing up he was into all sorts of things from scuba diving to flying in gliders building radio controlled planes to rockets that used to rise some 200 or more feet.
When he was 17 he came across an old navigation screen from an old Lancaster bomber out of this he made a large wooden plinth arranged on this was 8 to 10 trays of valves and condensers with this green radar set it worked well once you got over the colour I remember watching the Olympic Games
live. The first television any of us had seen.
He then took an apprenticeship with then Bush radio in Plymouth in 1955.
He suddenly bought dancing shoes most unlike him then not long after he came home with a certain Patricia Weston perched on the back of his motorbike.you know the rest they married in 1960.
He did what he always wanted to do he joined the Royal Air Force as an engineer in 1960 with his qualifications he went straight to a commission.
He served in various Uk stations eventually ended up in RAF Luqa in Malta for 3 years he ran the radio and telecommunications section .
He was discharged after 3 years and they had the best holiday of their lives .they drove home through Sicily the Amalfi coast Rome Florence Venice Basel Heidelberg and other places en route .
He joined BAC in Bristol in the guided weapons division living in Bristol Tetbury.
They emigrated to Canada in 1974 he joined Bell Northern research before they folded in to Norte as research scientist.
He was forced to retire in in 2002 due to a serious problem with a leaking aorta.
Whilst with Norte 2 things stand out he invented a device for the deaf so they could hear better on the telephone and some sort of lightening conductor for phone lines both things still relevant today,he tried to explain that to me but im afraid it went over my head.
There is another if you go on to Google you can see it good luck in understanding it.
Alan was clever amusing could be shy but very good company I did not see much of him once he left home at 18 as he travelled and so did I but kept up with each other through our parents,in retirement we did family trees he did the Combellack tree tracing the family all the back to the mid 16th century it ended up a very big task with an awful lot of distant relatives ,I did the easy on our mothers side.
Sadly we only saw each other for about 2 weeks in the mid 1980s despite this I am going to miss him dreadfully.
He was not religious but God bless him
