In memory of Ertan Taner

Thank you all so much for coming today to celebrate Dad's life with Mum, Kaya and I.

Family was everything to Dad. Be that looking after Nene when she lived just around the corner from us, helping his sister Altan after Uncle Peter passed away, or worrying if Mum and Kaya would be OK when he realised he was ill and wasn't going to get better.

Dad's always been immensely proud of everything Kaya and I have done in our lives, but I hope he knows just how proud we are of him too.

Dad's the youngest of 4 siblings. He has 2 older brothers Dogan and Teoman, and a sister Altan. He came to England from Cyprus when he was just a teenager. He barely spoke the language and was thrown into a new culture and a new way of living pretty much overnight. He swapped a beach, hot summers and island living for a big noisy city and the great British weather. He put himself through university to become an electrical engineer, and when asked as a kid what my Dad did, I used to proudly tell everyone that my Dad designed the insides of computers! He then moved into marketing and worked his way up to Director of Business Development for the Telecomms company Alcatel, working during the week in France for the last 10 years of his career before he retired. Whilst that might sound quite glamorous, I think he often ended up spending more time waiting at airports and sitting in traffic jams, but racking up all those air miles did mean that we got to go on many amazing family holidays together! Retirement didn't suit Dad though he liked to keep busy, and he also spent the last 6 years working with the NHS as an expert by experience for learning disability care and treatment reviews. That was work he was really proud of.

Dad loved driving. He would chauffeur me and Kaya around for years at all hours of the day and night without complaining. He taught Mum to drive whilst she was pregnant with me. And him and Mum went on some epic road trips across Europe in their tiny green MG (before kids of course) and across the US in a rented white convertible Cadillac with a bright red roof, donning hats and sunglasses when they got to LA, pretending to be famous celebrities.

Something you may not have known about Dad is that he loved to shop. It didn't matter what it was… food, clothes, shoes. It didn't matter. I've never known anyone who loved to shop quite as much as Dad. He would drive mum crazy insisting they go back to a shop 3 times just to check if that really was the best option. But whenever he was away on a business trip, he would always find the nearest shopping mall and bring a little something back for everyone.

Even if he didn't always say it out loud, Dad was immensely proud of his family and would talk endlessly to anyone who would listen (and I do mean anyone!) about the things Kaya and I had done, or what Milo and Maisie were up to now. I will never forget the look on Dad's face when I told him that I was pregnant with Milo (his first grandchild). He just beamed from ear to ear and then welled up with tears in his eyes.

Dad also loved to make family connections. I remember one family holiday in Cyprus when we had special permission to drive through no-man's land to get to Lurucina, to visit some distant relatives who we thought still lived there. It was a really hot summer's day and we stopped at the local coffee shop on the corner and Dad went over to ask this tall, elderly gentleman for directions. Mum, Kaya and I stayed in the car as Dad was only going to take a minute, but he didn't come back. He stood there chatting away with this gentleman. There were hands gesturing, laughing, crying and then hugging. Meanwhile we were sat in the car wondering what on earth was going on and not so silently cursing that the air-conditioning had been turned off for some time now by this point. Eventually Dad and this gentleman came over and proudly announced that we were related. What were the chances!

As well as his family, Dad also loved his fruit. He couldn't pass a market stall selling melon, cherries or Bursa peaches without buying some, and one melon was never enough even if there were already 2 more at home. And it's so fitting that there is a cherry tree right here by his grave.

Dad would worry about the practical things and would always want to help fix things. Did I have a good interest rate on my bank account because he'd just seen a really good rate somewhere? Was I eating enough? Even in my thirties, I still couldn't pop over for a quick visit or cup of tea without being fed or at the very least given a spare helim or tub of hummus to take home. That quickly grew to include a packet or two of pears or a box of cherries he just happened to have spare in the garage, for Milo and Maisie because they love their fruit. I couldn't say no to that could I!

The things I will remember most about Dad are his smile and his passionate personality. The way his face would crease up and his eyes would twinkle when he smiled. I remember as a little girl being so excited when I would hear the front door go as Dad came home from work. I would run over and jump up on him before he'd even put his briefcase down. No matter how tired he was, he never seemed to mind, he only ever had a huge grin for me. Dad was never one to settle if things weren't quite right, and for those of you that knew him well, nor did he ever shy away from a debate. Mum and Dad taught me to be strong, independent and to always stand up for myself, which I'm sure in hindsight he probably questioned how wise a move that had been, when he realised I wasn't one to back down in an argument either. Sorry Dad!

Last of all I know that Dad would want to say a big thank you. Firstly to Mum, for everything you've done these last few months, especially the endless pillow tweaks. To Kaya, for being an amazing son. To Teoman, Altan and the rest of family, for always being there. To Sheila and Richard, for being amazing friends for so many years. To Nicole, Nancy and Bibesh, for bringing joy, laughter and music into his final weeks. To everyone who made such delicious food for him and Mum in the last few months. To all the phenomenal staff in the hospice community outreach team as well as our local district nurses who gave so much of their time, day and night, so that Dad could stay at home surrounded by family and friends until the end.

Dad we all miss you already, but you will always be in our hearts...

Thank you for coming. I have a bit of a moving speech for the funeral for Ertan.

Life is a journey, on the journey. Dad was a strong man. He was my Dad. Through our sadness there is a light of God. We loved you so much. That helps us find some peace. I missed him too in my heart. We loved my Dad. He's in our hearts.

Dad is a kind man he loves me in my heart. Dad is my wonderful son. I love you, I love you in my heart. Dad you are my world to me and Dad makes me smile for me, and he said to me, I love you my son. We all loved each other when God came back to my Dad. We all loved you in our hearts.

Nicola loves my Dad in our joyful hearts for our life. And he said to Kaya I love you. We had good times we had for many years, I know, him, Kaya (and Nicola). We loved him so much in my heart. And we say goodbye to you and Nicola and Dad, went to football match. And we say I love you, all we had the good times, we had Kaya Sabrina and Mum (and Nicola).

And we say our final bit, we say holy, say in our hearts to say we all my Dad love him, to me in my heart. OK we love you Ertan in my heart. Dad, Dad and Kaya goodbye. True we love you very cherish you very much. We love you too much.

Rest in peace forever and forever, amen.