Tribute to Doris Page,

One shining star fell out of the sky at 9:30 p.m. on January 4, 2009. She was my husband’s mum, Doris Page, who finished her 90-year journey on this planet.

Dear Doris, God saw you getting tired and a cure was not meant to be. So he put his arms around you and whispered "Come to me". He took you to live in a different world. We cannot see you anymore. But you will live in our hearts forever.

Recalling your life, you were a strong lady and lived a full and wonderful life. Your life experience deserves to be remembered by many people for a long time.

For your whole life, you always loved your husband, kids and your family. You followed your husband to many countries taking your family with you. You went to Libya, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, and Sierra Leone and made those places a home for your family. Living in foreign countries is not as easy as a lot of people think. You had to cope with many difficulties in language, culture, communication, backward facilities, kids’ education and many more. But you went through all that without a word of complaint.

You were married during the Second World War, while your husband served in British Royal Navy. You looked after your 4 kids almost all by yourself. When you were living in the jungle in Nigeria, there were no other foreign families except 5 others, and one had a kid. There were no roads and the nearest town was 4 hours away by river. There was no electricity except for a couple of hours at night thanks to your own generator. You had to cope with your kid’s daily needs, kid’s health and education, and language issues with local residents. We could imagine how tough and lonely it would be without the modern facilities that we are used to today. But you did not fall down. Instead, you stood up and enjoyed life there.

Your son told me that when you made the trip from England to Libya at the end of the Second World War, you made part of the trip in a warplane with no proper seats as we have today. You had your baby daughter in your arms with your two little boys strapped in next to you. Once you took a boat to Ghana but there was no port there for the ship to dock. The crew had to transfer passengers including you, Doris, and your daughters by a basket to a small boat which was rowed ashore through the waves. Did you cry or panic? No, you did not. You lived all those adventures with a proud feeling. Doris, you deserve to be admired by many of your friends and family members, including me.

Same as most parents, you loved your kids dearly, sent girls to the Royal Ballet School and boys to the Navy. You wanted them to be strong and successful in their lives. Today, you can take pride that you had a wonderful family with more than 30 members. Each of your kids and grandkids are smart, good looking and healthy. Most important, they are all carrying your genes, so they can be strong, brave and successful.

Doris, you are an extraordinary person, always remaining in charge even in your old age. You have the stuff of leaders, the stuff that prime ministers are made of. As an outside person, I could see that all your kids are all well-behaved in front of you, no matter how mean or rude they were outside. Remember that year; your eldest son had already retired from his 30-year service with the U.N. We were on the way from Mumbai to Canada, stopped by to visit you. We sat in the living room, had a chat about world issues and family issues. Your son disagreed with you on one matter. You stood up, came and slapped your son’s face without a word. Oh, my God, I was so shocked. Although your son didn't like it, he didn't think it was such a big deal as he told me it had happened before. In front of mum, he said life was sometimes like that. What a tough but wonderful mum you were.

We came to celebrate your 90-year birthday in August last year. You were so strong and clear in your mind although physically you were weak. As usual, at the dinner table, we discussed world and family issues. Concerning the U.S. election, you clearly and precisely indicated your point of view . I was so proud of you as you were still caring the world in such an old age. It was lucky for me and Trevor that we had our last brief talk over the phone and could greet each other on Christmas Day 2008. That will live in our hearts forever.

This morning, I had vivid dream that your little dog, together with Trevor came to see me. At that moment I quickly remembered that Trevor never liked the dog so how come they were together. When I woke up, I realized that you must have left us.

Dear Doris, today, although your heart has lost its feeling, I am sure the heart of God takes you in.

Thanks to God, you are no longer living in pain and suffering.

Helen Keller said: "The best and most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen, nor touched...but are felt in the heart."

You are living in our heart forever.

Wish you rejoin Russell Page to enjoy a happy and peaceful life together and forever in heaven.

90 years old Doris Page, photo taken in August 2008, in Portsmouth, England

At family's dinner table.

Chat with her kids

Four generations in Page’s family

妈妈 by 来自偶然