Please help!

[danilynn19]

My family and I just lost a very wonderful man on Wednseday evening to Multiple Myleoma, my father James West. Apparently this has been found to be a side effect of agent orange from his two tours as a MP in Vietnam. He was the dad that CHOSE me, when he met my mom I was already 5 and he stuck around anyway. She was divorced with 2 children....as was he. Together it was 3 boys and 1 girl and 7 wonderful grandchildren.
We will be having a service for him on Monday with a military burial on Tuesday, here is where I need the help.
My mother and I want to put out a memory book where people can write HAPPY stories about my father in. But we don't want it to turn into a book of condolences so that we can share it with the grandchildren as they get older. Only my oldest really is the only one that knew him because he is 20, but the others are range from 3-15. How do we word that?
Thanks for your help.

 

[es45]

I'm sorry to read that you lost your father. The memory book is a beautiful way to celebrate how special he is to your family.

For the most part, I'm sure people will respond appropriately to your request. You will have a few who may express their condolences anyway. You could say something as simple as, "Please help us celebrate the life of James West by sharing your favorite memory of him." I don't think that you need too much instruction; the best approach would be for those of you closest to him to include your favorite memory first. That way the guests would have examples of what you are asking them to share.

 

[Tillikumtrainer]

How bout this:

"In order to keep our father's memory alive we ask Family and friends to share a special/ funny/ happy memory they have of our father"

I did that for my grand dad and there were some sweet and funny stories in there.