Alzheimer's

If someone has had Alzheimer's it is always difficult to know what to say at their funeral. My hope is, that the following funeral poem for someone with Alzheimer's, will help you to remember them when their mind was fit and well. This Alzheimer funeral poem concentrates on the long period of life prior to the onset of the disease, rather than the relatively short period of time following the onset of Alzheimer's - Dick Underwood 2010

You didn't die just recently,
You died some time ago.
Although your body stayed a while,
And didn't really know.

For you had got Altzheimer's,
You failed to comprehend.
Your body went on living.
But your mind had reached its end.

So we've already said, "Goodbye",
To the person that we knew.
The person that we trully loved,
The person that was, "You".

And so we meet again today,
To toast your bodies end.
For it was true and faithful,
Until right at the end.

And so, when we remember,
We'll think of all the rest.
We'll concentrate on earlier,
And remember all the best.

For in the real scheme of things,
Your illness wasn't long.
Compared to all the happiness,
You brought your whole life long.

We think of you as yesterday,
When you were fit and well.
And when we're asked about you,
It's those things that we'll tell.

And so we meet in 'membrance,
Of a mind so fit and true.
We're here to pay our last respects
To say that, "We love you".

Dick Underwood 2010

If you have a relative who has Alzheimer's you may find the following links helpful:

USA Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research in the USA.

UK Alzheimer's Society. The Alzheimer's Organisation is the leading UK care and research charity for people with this disease and other dementias, their families and carers.

The above funeral poem, ‘Alzheimers‘, has been written for those celebrating the life of someone whose body outlived their mind.

I have also written the funeral poem, ‘The Mind Is Well’, as the other side of the coin, for those celebrating the life of someone whose mind outlived their body.

Further information about about Dick Underwood's Poems

Funeral Poems: 

Comments

thank you......my grandfather

thank you......my grandfather passed away saturday march 6th...he suffered from Alzheimers and was pretty sick for a while. Its odd that so many families suffer through this yet i feel so alone...I just want to say thank you for this poem that is so beautifull and true.

Dick, Thank you for the

Dick,

Thank you for the wonderful poem. My dad died last week and I used your poem as part of my presentation. I changed a bit of it to make it more personal to his experience but it was essentially your poem and did give you credit for it (it's the college student in me-footnote everything). Thank you again.

Thank you. I have been

Thank you. I have been reviewing many poems. When I came across your's I knew it was perfect. My Dad has always been a strong active man and had been afflicted wirh Alzheimer's for 18 years. He is finally at peace.
Thank you again.
Rose

Thank you so much. A dear

Thank you so much. A dear friend of my in-laws has died after a 20-year Alzheimer's journey and your poem I used as a springboard for my sympathy card. Although I changed it somewhat to suit my situation, it is still the absolute essence of YOUR work and I could not have made it work without your oh-so-suitable thoughts. I really appreciate that you allow your work to be used for non-commercial purposes-- it is truly generous of you! Thanks again from the bottom of my heart!
Vicki

This is the best poem I have

This is the best poem I have found so far to express how I feel regarding my dad who
passed away this week with Alzheimer's/Dementia. I feel we didn't just lose him this week but have been losing him over the last 3-4 years. God Bless You~

I used this poem at my

I used this poem at my mother's funeral on 25th May 2010 and every word was felt as it was read. So many people commented on this poem even the Vicar was taken by it. I can not thank you enough as this was perfect and could have not been any better for the service. Thank you for such a wonderful poem that really expresses the meaning of Alzheimers.

Dick My lovely nan passed

Dick

My lovely nan passed away Tuesday 10th Aug 2010 after suffering with dementia and Altzheimers disease for some years. In the last 3 years she was no longer the nan that we'd always known, she was a different person who we loved all the same but this cruel disease had taken over. It is difficult to explain this to people who have no experience of Altzheimers disease. I have been looking for something meaningful to read at her funeral next Monday and this is perfect so thank you so much.

Kind Regards

"Alzheimer’s" This wa s the

"Alzheimer’s"
This wa s the perfect poem to read at my father-in laws gravesite after he passed away on Aug.9,2010. It said everything that needed to be said...by a family who says very little at such a time. Thank you!

My husband cried when I read

My husband cried when I read this to him..
my mother-in-law asked for a copy of the poem I had read saying " it was perfect"
I can't thank you enough for the words that filled our void on that day.

Do/did you have a family member with this terrible disease?????

Kay, No family members with

Kay,
No family members with Alzheimer's, but when I was a minister of religion I regularly visited relatives of people with Alzheimer's, and I've tried to express their feelings in the poem.
I'm only please you were helped by the poem.
Richard

My husband died of

My husband died of Huntington's on Aug 6th, at the age of 55, his burial is this week and I was looking for something to say since it is only family. This poem really reflects how many Huntington's people are so like Alzheimer's people. I would like to read this at his burial, I just hope I can make it to the end without breaking down.

Richard, I used your poem

Richard,

I used your poem today at the burial of my mothers ashes in Jersey Island. She died recently in Australia and had been diagnosed with AD many years ago. My father looked after her all this time. Her naughty poems (one of her final comforts) will ring in our ears for many years to come as will her favourite comment 'I will just sit down and shut up!'

At which point I will. Many thanks
Juliette

I was honored to use your

I was honored to use your poem on Saturday, October 23, for a funeral of a very dear friend and neighbor who died of the horrible disease, Alzheimer's. Before I read the poem, I told the attendees who wrote it. My neighbor kept his wife at home and cared for her for 15 years. She peacefully passed away on October 17, 2010. Many individuals asked where I found the poem and I was very happy to tell them how to find it on the web. Thank you for your wonderful words of comfort. God bless you.

I'm planning a Memorial

I'm planning a Memorial service for my Mom ,who passed away on Dec. 16th.She suffered with Alzheimer's Disease for 10 years and has been in a nursing home for 6 yrs. along with my father who is also suffering from dimentia, not yet diagnosed as Alsheimer's. I was wanting something read and decided to go on-line. I'm so blessed to have found your poem, it is perfect. Thank you for making it available to those of us that really need it at this trying time. It is good to know my mom is released from this terrible disease and is at peace now. Thank you again so very very much.

Sherrie Neuhauser

My grandmother just passed

My grandmother just passed away from alzheimer's disease. Her funeral is this Saturday, February 19, 2011(her birthday). I was searching for the right poem........the one that touched me. This is it. I will be standing up in front of my family and I will read it to them. I read it to my mom over the phone and she was crying. I only hope that I will be able to finish reading the poem without crying........we shall see! Thank you!

My mother just passed away

My mother just passed away recently and my niece read your poem at the memorial service. She suffered for 16 years with that dreadful disease and didn't know us for the last five years at least. Anyone who has a loved one with Alzheimer's disease knows that your poem speaks to the heart. Thanks for allowing us to share it at her service.

Thank you so much for this

Thank you so much for this lovely poem, the words were just perfect in tribute to our Auntie who died last week, my daughter read it at her funeral yesterday and it was so appropriate for her. I have been saying for years that is was not her sitting in that chair only her body, the words are so true. Thank you again.

Alzheimer's Poem brings closure

Dearest Mr. Underwood, last Friday April 22, 2010 we celebrated the life of my amazing stepfather who suffered from Alzheimers for 6 years before passing. I chose your poem to read at the memorial because I was too distraught to write my own. The response I received after the service was remarkable. Everyone wants a copy of the poem because it completely summed up how we all felt. Thank you so much for writing, sharing and allowing all of us to have copies of your beautiful poem.

Mum's funeral

We struggled to find something appropriate for mum's funeral this week. She suffered with dementia, had her life-story drastically altered and then cut short by this disease. This poem, amended slightly to fit her story, said what we needed to say, portrayed a little of the gradual loss of a person and bitterness at the final end point. Thank you

wonderful alzheimers poem

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for such a poem. It is as if you wrote it for my grandma. It is only because it is such a perfect poem that i felt confident enough for to read it at my grandma's funeral. PERFECT.

Thanks for Alzheimer's Poem

I used some of the above poem for my Mums funeral and one of her great grandaughters read it out, the family got great comfort from it as we lost mum three years before her death;
Thank you
Vicky

Alzheimer's - My mum

My mum is going to leave us very soon, the next couple of days and we are making preparations for the innevitable. I have been looking for words/poem to read at her funeral and came across yours. You have expressed exactly how I feel and I would never have been able to put it into words myself. Thank you so much for sharing.....

Eulogy

Dick -
This poem is wonderful - it is so perfectly written, summarizing the feelings of how one feels when their
loved one is taken from them by Alzheimer's. Thank you so much - I read at my moms service just last week and
it was very well received. I have had several requests for a copy of the eintire eulogy including your poem.
So thank you again for sharing your words.
Sandi

My Dad

I too found your poem beautiful and just the way it is with alzheimers.

My Dad died of it in 2007 and I wish I had this poem then cause my mom said that is how it is. Your loved one dies twice. First cause they dont know you and more and you experience that loss then when they finally pass away your dealt the second blow.

I will share this will all I know who have family members with alzheimer because it says it all.

Thank you.

Alzheimer's poem

I was trawling through the web looking for a suitable poem for my mam's funeral on Friday and found this poem by Dick Underwood. My mam was diagnosed with the illness over 7 years ago and the words were apt and true. Much appreciated.

Alzheimer's Poem

The words of this Alzheimer's poem are just so true and sad ... I was looking for a poem for my fathers funeral who died yesterday, he had dementia. I cry everytime I read it. It is exactly what I was looking for, my thoughts put on paper...A part of dad died years ago. Thankyou

Poem for Alzheimer's

Thank you so much for this poem. Someone else shared it with me and we are reading it at my mother's funeral later this week. Not a one of us yet have been able to get through it without crying though.

nannas funeral

Thank you for your very apropriate words it fits my mum in law perfectly she battled with Alzheimers for 20 years and her body fought to her last breath . she died this week aged 98 years of age her grandson is going to read the words at her funeral thank you

Thank you for the Alzheimer's Funeral Poem

I was searching for something appropriate to read at my father's funeral and this poem exactly summed up the situation. Alzheimer's was a terrible thing to suffer with but it was for only the last few years of his life. I wanted to stress that we should try to remember him as he had been.