The Iversons' Franco-American Blog: Remembering Uncle François

This last week Perrine's family gathered together to mourn the passing of François Vourc'h – Perrine's uncle, the brother of her father Jean-Guy. François passed away after a period of living with cancer, and it has been very hard for the whole family. François was a brilliant sociologist and was much loved by his family and colleagues. And for Perrine, myself and Miloïg David, he was a wonderful uncle and great uncle!

Uncle François and Aunt Adeline were among the first to visit us when we returned home from the hospital with Miloïg. We were exhausted and Miloïg was crying with colic, and François swooped in the door and took Miloïg in his arms and started speaking to him quietly in his deep voice. François told Milo that he understood that he was new to this world, and would no doubt rather be back in the warm dark place he'd been just days before, but that it was best Milo know now that his tummy ache was far from the last pain and chagrin he'd have in life, but that this was ok, and that there was so much joy and wonder in the world that it was well worth all the tears along the way. Perrine and I watched in disbelief as Milo stopped crying and drifted off into contented sleep laying against his great uncle François.

Great uncle François and Miloïg on May 29th, 2012, just back from the hospital.

Great aunt Adeline and Miloïg

Miloïg, great uncle François and his sister great aunt Catherine

There is something particularly intense and meaningful about what families share together both in times of birth and in death. François told his family that he didn't want his funeral to be a depressing occasion, and indeed, it was not at all. Held at Père Lachaise Cemetery with music, beautiful words from dear friends and family, photographs of happy days, and simple, lovely flowers that seemed plucked from the countryside, it was truly an uplifting celebration of the life of François.

After the funeral people gathered nearby at cousin Julie's apartment, a lovely space renovated by her architect brother Erwan Gayet. Perrine's big family is so busy scattered about France going about in their separate lives, it's a rare thing to be able to gather all together. And so François left his big family with the final gift of bringing them all together again, to share many precious moments with him present in everyone thoughts. There were tears, but François would be happy to know that there was much laughter as well.

Gwenaël and Gaëtan, daughter and son of Adeline and François

Gwenaël with husband Pascal and Perrine's sister Lucie

Gaëtan's wife Anaïs with her mother Khaya

Amir, son of Gaëtan and Anaïs, playing with his grandma Adeline

Amir

Two of Perrine's aunts, Catherine and Claire, sisters of François

Perrine's great aunt Sabine with uncle Jean-Loup, Catherine's husband

Lucie and Pascal, husband of Gwenaël

Perrine with her great aunt Sabine

Perrine's mother Françoise with uncle Jean-Marc, husband of Claire

Lucie with her cousin, Honorine, daughter of Jean-Marc and Claire

Madeleine, daughter of Catherine and Jean-Loup, with great aunt Sabine

cousins Madeleine and Olympe with great aunt Sabine

Perrine's cousins, Louise, Paule and Gaspard (children of Catherine and Jean-Loup) and Gaëtan (back)

Jean-Marc and Anne

cousins Paule and Olympe, daughter of Anne and Lucien

Anne and daughter Léonor

Olympe

Françoise, Claire (back), Adeline

Old family photos were dusted off and viewed to the pleasure of all. It was wonderful to see these images from the years just after WWII was over when Brigitte and Guy Vourc'h (Perrine's paternal grandparents) were starting a family. François was born after Catherine and Jean-Guy. Anne and Claire would later follow.