'I am the resurrection and the life,' says the Lord. 'Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.'    John 11:25,26

I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Romans 8:38,39

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. So we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.    1 Thessalonians 4:14,17b,18

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.    Lamentations 3:22,23

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.    John 3:16

Introduction

Welcome to St James church and to this service of thanksgiving for the life of Eric George Sainty, known to many of us as Ric. Today will be a day of remembering and there will be as many different memories as there are people here this afternoon. Later we will hear of some of these memories from Jackie and Stirling and from an old friend Nigel Cant and they will reveal the unique and special qualities that Ric possessed and freely shared with family, friends and community.

Life is a very precious gift from God and we are here today to give thanks for the gift of Ric, to remember him before God, to commend him to God our merciful redeemer and judge and to comfort one another in our grief.

Jesus showed great love and compassion to those who were bereaved and we can be sure that he feels our sorrow now at the death of Ric, he is here with us and beside us today and always.

And so we pray:

God of all consolation,
your Son Jesus Christ was moved to tears
at the grave of Lazarus his friend.
Look with compassion on your children in their loss;
give to troubled hearts the light of hope
and strengthen us ion the gift of faith,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I'd like to say a few words about Ric , though I could talk forever about him.

Ric - What a special man, he was a very human, being. Not only a father and grandfather, he was also a dear friend and a mate.

We each have our own very treasured memories of him, different places, different occasions, but always Old Ric. There was much more to Ric than enjoying a pint of beer, just as Ric liked a full pint he filled his life to the brim with many passions and interests which he loved to share with like minded folk.

He had such character and presence, that every where he went people were drawn to him. He was fun to be with and would talk to anyone young or old from all walks of life. He was engaging and humorous and you always new where you stood with him.

He was loved by many. We will miss him immensely but we're so lucky to have shared such wonderful moments. Those memories will last forever and of course there is always . . .

MORE BEER!

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and comfort us;
renew our trust in your Son, whom you raised from the dead;
strengthen our faith that all who have died in the love of Christ will share in his resurrection;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen

One Sabbath Jesus went to have a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees. When he noticed how the guests were trying to secure the places of honour, he spoke to them in a parable: When somebody asks you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the place of honour. It may be that some person more distinguished than yourself has been invited; and the host will come to say to you, "Give this man your seat." Then you will look foolish as you go to take the lowest place. No, when you receive an invitation, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he will say, "Come up higher my friend." Then all your fellow guests will see the respect in which you are held. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Then he said to his host, "When you are having guests for lunch or supper, do not invite your friends, your brothers or other relations, or your rich neighbours; they will only ask you back again and so you will be repaid. But when you give a party, ask the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. That is the way to find happiness, because they have no means of repaying you. You will be repaid on the day when the righteous rise from the dead."

Today is a day of sadness for all of us because in Ric we have lost someone we love and respect very much. Ric was a well known figure in our community, a big character and an open hearted man and it has been a great privilege for me to hear from Ellie and others just how much I didn't know about the things and the people for whom he cared passionately during his life. I was also pleased to be asked to choose the bible reading for this service and although the one Skye has just read is not a usual one for funerals - to me it spoke of the man that Ric was.

In some ways I feel that we are kindred spirits and in the same business because both he and I work in the field of hospitality. For Ric it was always important that everyone was welcomed into his pubs - it did not matter how old they were - how important they were or how they dressed - as long as they respected their surroundings and the people in the pub and in the neighbourhood - they were welcome - more than that they were important to him as individuals with stories to tell. As some one who trained for and worked in the hotel and catering industry, I often say that the church is also about hospitality - about being welcoming to all who come, whoever they are, whatever their circumstances or their reason for coming. For pubs and churches have this much in common - they are both places that many would visit in the saddest and in the happiest times of their lives. Hopefully they come a lot in between times too!

Ric was not someone who tried to take the best place - he was someone who was open hearted enough to welcome all visitors to the Old Spot - so now we hope together that he will find his reward in the joy and peace of God's kingdom - for that too is a place of eternal hospitality - made welcome for all who believe that Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life for us - so that we will be able to rise with him to share in God's heavenly banquet when our earthly journey has been completed.

May Ric rest in peace and rise in glory.    Amen

ERIC GEORGE SAINTY

TRIBUTE BY HIS FRIEND NIGEL CANT
AT HIS FUNERAL IN BURSLEY
ON 30/08/08

INTRODUCTION

Born on a Wednesday, died on a Wednesday and here we are at the funeral on a Wednesday.

According to the old rhyme, Wednesday's child is full of woe. Well that was very wrong in Ric's case - he was full of fun, even joking I am told up to 5 minutes before his departure.

CAREER

Between 1951-1953 Ric served his National Service in the RAF. He followed that by 25 years service as a local government officer for Cambridgeshire County Council in the Planning Department, where he rose to being a section head.

From 1978-1988 he was a publican, first at the New Inn at Waterley Bottom, then in Bristol, then Pandy, near Abergavenny, Llandrindod Wells, mid Wales and lastly, as you all know, here in Dursley.

From 1998-2008 he liked to be considered as an important commercial investigator. He looked in to pubs, breweries, vineyards, purveyors of any type of food and drink or any temple of fun.

RIC AS A FAMILY MAN

He was a great family man. He had six children and 12 grandchildren, 10 of those live in Cambridge and two young boys in Australia, Flynn and Kale who are the youngest. Ric also had three great grandchildren.

His only real concern about any of the grandchildren was whether the two youngest ones would take up cricket and might one day play for Australia.

SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Ric was a great sportsman. In his youth he was a keen and successful cross-country runner. He cycled all round Europe and played squash very well until he was over 50, only losing for the first time to his son Stirling when he was 56. Ric was a keen participant in deep-sea diving.

He was a great spectator of rowing, rugby football, cricket, motor racing and he also played bar billiards and poker. Ric loved fast, flashy, English cars. In his youth an Armstrong Siddeley and more recently Jaguars, he went to La Mans 24-hour race every year.

FRIENDS

Ric had a terrific number of friends, too may to count. A lot of them were young people, both male and female. He loved a pretty face and I am sure all of us, his friends, will greatly miss him.

CLUBS

Ric liked organised clubs and societies. He was a member of the Lodge here in Dursley. He was an active member of the Bristol Pink Elephant Club and used to go to their dinners and meetings and on their tours abroad.

He was an active supporter of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and used to regularly go to matches. He was a member of the Remenham Rowing Club where he used to go for Henley Royal Regatta. He was of course also a founding member of CAMRA.

HEALTH

Health wise, Ric was really a bit of a creaking gate for the last 15 years. He had a quadruple heart by-pass about 15 years ago but it didn't seem to affect him all that much, I can remember going and seeing him in hospital the day after his operation and there he was, sitting up in bed with a great plate of fish and chips, a bottle of beer and his arm round Ellie. A month later he was climbing up a tower brewery in Oxfordshire with Ellie and I, and about a year after that he climbed a mountain in Spain with me.

For the last couple of years or so he was also burdened with diabetes.

LIKES

Ric had likes - we all have likes. He enjoyed good manners, a hot tub, anything truly English, French food, Campari and soda, he loved a glass of good Sauternes, a hot curry, studying maps and plans, and of course he was a terrific connoisseur of Real Ale.

DISLIKES

Ric couldn't abide lager drinkers, he hated the European Union, he didn't like or understand online activities - whatever those may be. He thoroughly disapproved of bad manners. He hated dirty pubs, Australian fast bowlers but did admire Shane Warne. He really didn't like anybody who beat England at Rugby.

GARDENS AND FLOWERS

Ric was a great gardener. He had enormous pride in his own gardens at the New Inn, at his home in Dursley and at the Old Spot where he created the garden from a rubbish tip, his hanging baskets at the pub were legendry. He loved trees, wildlife, country views, Stinchcombe Hill and the Uley Valley which he found a terrific contrast to The Fens. He loved great buildings, particularly Ely Cathedral and Kings College Chapel in Cambridge.

QUOTATIONS

He had his sayings. Amongst them:

    "How about just a swift half?"
    "I am going on a commercial investigation."
    "More beer please."
    "Quiet please, there's a lager drinker in the house."

If he met anybody new he very often would introduce himself and say, "Greetings". He loved anything that was wholesome. If you asked him how he was, or how he was feeling, he would often reply, "I'm incredibubble".

Perhaps his favourite expression and one that has the greatest poignancy for me because it came into being when I knew him as a young man was, "Mind the bottom step".

Another phrase of Ric's was, "It would be rather nice". I think it would be really nice if we put our hands together to applaud the happy, well-lived life of a good friend. I am sure you will all agree it was a great pleasure and privilege to have known him.

Thank you.

NIGEL CANT
FRIEND FOR 42 YEARS

God of all grace, we thank you that you sent your Son, Jesus, to break the power of death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel. He shared our life, took upon himself our death, and opened the Kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Look not on us: but look on us as found in him, and bring us safely through the judgement to the joy and peace of your presence.

Eternal God you hold all souls in life,
We praise you for those who have shared this earthly life with us and have entered into eternal life with you. Especially we thank you for Ric, for all that made him special, all that you accomplished in him, for all that he meant to those who knew and loved him. Now we thank you that for Ric death itself is conquered. Help us to release him into your care and keeping in the confidence that all life finds its fulfilment with you in the joy of your eternal kingdom.

We commend to you those who will miss Ric in the days and months to come, especially Ellie, Jackie, Michelle, Stirling, Inge, Nicky and Tom and all his family and friends. Grant that casting every care on you they may know the consolation of your love. God of all comfort, in the midst of pain, heal us with your love. In the darkness of sorrow, shine upon us as the morning star. Awaken in us the spirit of mercy, that as we see the pain of others, we may share with them the comfort we receive from you.
Bring us at the last, with all your people, into the kingdom of your glory. Where death itself is ended and every tear is wiped from every eye. To you Father, Son and Holy Spirit be glory both now and for all eternity.    Amen

Gracious God
You made us and love us
Your love is our security and hope
We find our true selves, complete and whole only within your love
And because in love you have prepared for us a destiny more wonderful than we can imagine,
We trust you with our loved ones, with Ric and with ourselves.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen

Lord, we do not know whether our days will be many or few.
help us to put into each day's living something of worth and kindness,
Integrity, courage and love.
These are the gifts that you offered to Ric and offer to us,
gifts that will last, for they are a sign of your Spirit at work amongst us.
We ask this in Jesus' name
Amen

Silence for thoughts, memories and prayers
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

Let us commend Eric George to the mercy of God,
our maker and redeemer.

Silence is kept
God our creator and redeemer,
by your power Christ conquered death
and entered into glory.
Confident of his victory and claiming his promises,
we entrust Ric to your mercy
in the name of Jesus our Lord,
who died and is alive and reigns with you
now and for ever.
Amen

God be in my head and in my understanding
God be in my eyes and in my looking
God be in my mouth and in my speaking
God be in my heart and in my thinking
God be at my end and at my departing
Amen

God give you his comfort and his peaces,
his light and his joy,
in this world and in the next;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.    Amen