As I sat in church on Remembrance Sunday this year, my mind went back to being in the same church on Remembrance Day at 11am on 11th November 2019 and listening to a short Remembrance Day service.
The service held particular significance for me as it was a Thanksgiving Memorial service for the life of my deeply loved wife Carole who had passed away from cancer days before. When I realised that the service was to be held at 11 am on that day I asked the celebrant to include something of Remembrance at the beginning of the service. The Oath of Remembrance was read as part of the service.
I remember thinking on that day 7 years ago how appropriate it was that the service was being held on Remembrance Day when we remember all those who have served the country in times of war and peace, especially those who had lost their lives in doing so. There was a connection to Carole whose much older uncle had been killed by a sniper while serving in the British Army just days before the Armistice was signed in 1918.
My own father had gone to fight in France and Belgium from 1916 as part of the Australian Army as a signals instructor in Semaphore and Morse Code but had come home physically unscathed. Other relatives had served in the services in Australia during the Second World War.
Sitting near me was a nephew, a Major in the Australian Army as a medical doctor who had recently served in two tours of the most dangerous war zone overseas. My own contact was being in the Australian Navy as a National Serviceman in 1955 so I had some idea of what service life was like, but only in peacetime.
As I sat there in church feeling so empty having lost the love of my life and my very best friend ever, I felt it was such a good day to remember all my wife Carole had done in serving the community as a teacher in her teaching career as a Phys Ed teacher in Qld and Victoria and as a Head Teacher and Senior Head Teacher in NSW TAFE colleges. Her dedicated and self-giving service, where she always put others before herself, earned her many awards, but she mostly sent some of her teachers to receive the awards on her behalf, believing they had done all the preparation and hard work in her section. However, on one occasion she received an urgent phone call urging her to come to the award ceremony because she was to receive a very major award and the organisers desperately wanted her to be present.
There are many ways we can serve our fellow humans, and Remembrance Day will always bring me memories of those brave men and women who served bravely for their nation. But it will back to me especially memories of a very attractive young woman who in August 1964, bravely said, ” Yes!” to my question,” Will you marry me?” and went on to become the most loving and self-giving person I have ever met. I was blessed to be able to love and to be loved by this most gorgeous creature for almost 54 years. Some memories are very sweet, though touched with a depth of sadness. Praise God that I know she is “absent from the body but present with the Lord.”
Memories on Remembrance Day! Praise the Lord for His provision of individuals who seek to live for others and for Him!
Blog No.607 posted on Tuesday 10 November 2026
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
607 Memories on Remembrance Day 2026
As I sat in church on Remembrance Sunday this year, my mind went back to being in the same church on Remembrance Day at 11am on 11th November 2019 and listening to a short Remembrance Day service.
The service held particular significance for me as it was a Thanksgiving Memorial service for the life of my deeply loved wife Carole who had passed away from cancer days before. When I realised that the service was to be held at 11 am on that day I asked the celebrant to include something of Remembrance at the beginning of the service. The Oath of Remembrance was read as part of the service.
I remember thinking on that day 7 years ago how appropriate it was that the service was being held on Remembrance Day when we remember all those who have served the country in times of war and peace, especially those who had lost their lives in doing so. There was a connection to Carole whose much older uncle had been killed by a sniper while serving in the British Army just days before the Armistice was signed in 1918.
My own father had gone to fight in France and Belgium from 1916 as part of the Australian Army as a signals instructor in Semaphore and Morse Code but had come home physically unscathed. Other relatives had served in the services in Australia during the Second World War.
Sitting near me was a nephew, a Major in the Australian Army as a medical doctor who had recently served in two tours of the most dangerous war zone overseas. My own contact was being in the Australian Navy as a National Serviceman in 1955 so I had some idea of what service life was like, but only in peacetime.
As I sat there in church feeling so empty having lost the love of my life and my very best friend ever, I felt it was such a good day to remember all my wife Carole had done in serving the community as a teacher in her teaching career as a Phys Ed teacher in Qld and Victoria and as a Head Teacher and Senior Head Teacher in NSW TAFE colleges. Her dedicated and self-giving service, where she always put others before herself, earned her many awards, but she mostly sent some of her teachers to receive the awards on her behalf, believing they had done all the preparation and hard work in her section. However, on one occasion she received an urgent phone call urging her to come to the award ceremony because she was to receive a very major award and the organisers desperately wanted her to be present.
There are many ways we can serve our fellow humans, and Remembrance Day will always bring me memories of those brave men and women who served bravely for their nation. But it will back to me especially memories of a very attractive young woman who in August 1964, bravely said, ” Yes!” to my question,” Will you marry me?” and went on to become the most loving and self-giving person I have ever met. I was blessed to be able to love and to be loved by this most gorgeous creature for almost 54 years. Some memories are very sweet, though touched with a depth of sadness. Praise God that I know she is “absent from the body but present with the Lord.”
Memories on Remembrance Day! Praise the Lord for His provision of individuals who seek to live for others and for Him!
Blog No.607 posted on Tuesday 10 November 2026
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.