Anyway, for this week's Taphophile Tragics, in honour of the brilliant sunshine we are having today and the brilliant sunshine we had on this day in early April when I took this shot, I am showing a modern marker for John and Sophie Harmidarow. Sophie passed on 7 years before John who "died peacefully at home with his family by his side" in his 85th year, on Christmas Eve, 2010. Together John Walter and Sophia had three children (Walter, Michael and Irene) and three grandchildren (Mathew, Michael, Ryan). Other than the fact that son Walter John is, among other things, a Sherlockian and wrote a novel in 1998 called The Final Solution (click on link for a critical review), i could find no information on this family.
They have a lovely view from their small plot in the Woodland Cemetery over the bay to Hamilton.
A very beautiful stone.
ReplyDeleteBeneath Thy Feet
That is a lovely resting spot..and such a unique marker.
ReplyDeleteInteresting gravestone. The cross on it is almost like a star.
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely, and quite opulent.
ReplyDeleteit's a gorgeous background
ReplyDeleteI agree with Persiflage about it being a opulent stone. Add, the water view and the park bench so close behind and it speaks of a life of privilege.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, somehow, I do not feel it was a life of privilege. Surely if this were the case, there would be more on the public record about the family. I do like the modernity and the simplicity of this memorial. It has the European custom of the photographs, and if I am correct, even a photograph of their three children. I feel that their chosen site for spending eternity is good and beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI often get bogged down in details on some of the people I research, and give up on them. Sadly. MOre often, however, the thread of a story simply stares me in the face, and off I run with it.
really, all I did was google the name and only found the one death notice and then the many book reviews.
Deleteit was a beautiful day and I wanted to get outside and enjoy it!
The grave is also an interesting reflection on the presnt 'fashion' in memorials. It's simple yet the star motif is large and powerful.
ReplyDeleteBut I was wonderign about one thing. The Victorians would never have been so presumptuous to have a Christ figure on their graves (they were more modest I suppose - with just an angel, or perhaps a grieving figure), so I was wondering ... is the Christ statuette a permannet fixture on the grave, or loose, somethign placed there by a mourner, do you think?
the statue is separate. there are also a couple of candles in glass and a plant pot.
DeleteSimple yet grand grave design! It seems this man only published one book? His character of Watson is rather "cut down" in the book review.
ReplyDeleteI struggle to like modern markers. That's a softened way of saying, "I don't really like modern markers." Despite my dislike of the aesthetic, I do like the feeling of love and caring behind them.
ReplyDeleteRegarding surnames: my husband wanted to change his last name to mine when we married, as his is very common but mine unique. However, his grandparents would have been devastated by his abandonment of their name, so he kept his, and I kept mine. When we had our kids (now ages 9 and 12), we gave them *my* surname. Thus, I have a son with my last name. My brother has two daughters. If they marry and change their names, they will not carry on our surname. But my son will. Perhaps--and it seems likely--my daughter will, too. She sees that her mother didn't change her identity upon marriage and seems to share similar inclinations.
I am not overly fond of modern markers either. especially these shiny ones - though the writing will likely last longer than the ones on soft marble.
DeleteI have friends who each kept their last name on marriage and their daughter has her last name and their son has his last name. I think it might have caused some confusion for the kids at school as they are only 1 yr apart in age. I like your solution.
That would be a peaceful place to sit and watch the water.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty marker, but I do prefer something more traditional. You certainly can't beat that view though. My son and his wife just had a son two months ago and they gave him the same name as his father, but chose not to use "Jr." after his name, opting instead for "II" (the second).
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