Thursday 25 August 2022

A time of mourning and reflection

The most senior member of my Estonian family passed away on Tuesday. My uncle Kuno was 81 years old and had his son by his bedside when he took his final breath. My uncle had an eventful life. Born during World War Two he spent several years of his childhood living in a refugee camp in Hamburg before emigrating to Australia. He became an electronics engineer, married, had three children and had a life long passion for photography. The last conversation I had with him was probably one of the best. We spoke of literature, he recommended two books to me and he spoke a lot about my Estonian grandfather. Sadly, my family circle is slowly shrinking and family gatherings won't be the same again.

My uncle Kuno with my grandmother onboard SS Dundalk Bay as they sailed to Australia from Italy.