Ashes to ashes,amen.
We are gathered here today in this beautiful autumn morning to pay our last respects to Thomas Fairclough, Richard Mason , and Harold Walker.
Tom, Dick and Harry as they were known to all of us.
Three stout fellows of our community who will be sorely missed.
Tom sadly was blind an affliction he bore with great fortitude, especially considering he was also deaf.
His only power was that of speech and song and we all recall his enormous voice joining lustily in our hymn singing.
Of course, being blind and deaf, Tom never actually knew what hymn we were singing, which seemed appropriate because we never knew what hymn he was singing either.
In fact, if we have to be frank with each other, Tom didn’t actually know any hymns.
As it is with deep gratitude we recall the day when Kernel Grant using only a sense of touch through the medium of a clenched fist actually broke through to Tom and got him to shut up.
Needing guidance through the darkness of life Tom was lucky to have a friend like Dick.
Dick had perfect eyesight and would gladly lead Tom wherever he wanted to go.
Unfortunately, since Dick was also deaf he couldn’t actually hear where Tom wanted to go.
Like Tom, Dick never complained about his afflictions, did he?
Well he couldn’t, he was dumb but blessed with the gift vision, though still deaf, he was a tremendous fan of Olivia Newton-John.
Being such an idiosyncratic pair, deaf to the world about them, Tom and Dick would have the permanent companionship of Harry.
Harry could literally hear a pin drop, although being blind and dumb he could not see to pick it up or warn anyone else not to stand on it.
And so as individuals they were sadly afflicted but together they were in possession of all of God’s senses, weren’t they?
And it is together that we remember them.
Together at their job checking eggs at the battery farm.
Dick would look for the cracks, Tom would complain to the foreman and Harry would do the listening to radio one.
Likewise, in the evening when they return from work they would all sit on the big red couch.
Dick watching the television, Harry listening to the television and Tom insisting that it was time to buy a television.
Sadly, as we all know three days ago their peaceful lives were ended
Dick saw the combine harvester, Harry heard the combine harvester but neither could cry out.
Tom who could have cried out never had the faintest idea what hit him and so they were all harvested together blended into oneness at last
and now we trust are in heaven as happy as any in that immortal host for Dick will see the angels choir, Harry will hear the angels choir and no doubt Tom will ruin it for everybody.