Gerard Faure - my aunt's French husband - was such an awesome guy. He always made me somehow feel beautiful, he was a charmer, incredibly down-to-earth, and always genuine.
It was hard to see all my aunts and uncles, my parents and cousins all crying, suffering from such a terrible loss. As the funeral ended and we all gathered to say our last goodbyes, my aunt, his beautiful wife, kissed his forehead and said, "I love you."
He epitomized the laisse-faire attitudes of the French - drinking wine all day, open-door policy where friends constantly came in and out to visit, reading newspapers and books to pass the time. Never intruding or abrasive. They always spent 2-3 months in Europe, traveling to London to Paris to San Tropez. He was someone who truly lived and loved life.