CLAUDIA DA SILVA'S FUNERAL
2012 November 09
Created by Ximena 11 years ago
All Claudia's friends and colleagues are invited to her burial on Friday 9th November 2012 at South Downs Natural Burial Site (www.sustainability-centre.org). Please check this website for location and travel plans.
Please Aim to arrive at midday 12.00 pm . Her committal will be at 12.30 pm approximately. Claudia wanted a simple, green and as far as possible a joyful occassion. To be "buried in a shroud, under a tree, somewhere nice." She did not wish for the formal gloom of a hearse or a coffin. We can meet these wishes here at this site. She will be buried in a shroud etc. made by friends, in a plot, surrounded by triangle of adult native beech trees. The burial site is close to where she used to live in Hampshire and where Claudia and Richard first got together.
After her burial we will gather in the service room to reminisce and celebrate Claudia's life and her gifts. The 'service room' is a roofed timber structure with a fire hearth and walls that can be opened or closed depending on weather. We hope to have a slide show & film clips compiled so we can remember and celebrate her wonderful example. At 2.00 pm approximately, we will return to her grave to plant a selection of her favourite wild flowers on her grave, we should have, primrose, bluebells, wild daffodills, lily of the valley, and honeysuckle, and later in the year things like snowdrops.
NB: The site has restrictions on the plants and flowers can be left . We would ask those wanting to remember Claudia PLEASE not to send or bring flower tributes or wreaths as these might not be allowed on site. However, please consider instead posting comments on her memorial site, and / or making charitable donations in her name, (this can also be done on her memorial site), or if attending to help with the planting.
Claudia was a Rambler, a keen walker when she could get away and given the likely weather and site we would suggest those attending consider coming in their walking gear, and to wear something bright and colourful to honour her.
Claudia touched the lives of thousands of people and we hope that anyone who wishes to come to the ceremony and pay their respects will do so, but would ask those who intend to come to please advise LCPS in advance. We do appreciate that this may be difficult for many, given the location and we will be organising a memorial service to be held in London later in the year. We will post this information subsequently.