ניר הרלב פרדקין

Reading a bedtime story with Lior to Adam. This is what you were doing the very first time I met you and I will remember you like this forever in my heart. You were such a soft, patient, gentle and loving father. Even through your illness your thoughts were always for the children. Every message you sent from the hospital and every phone call was about them. My heart is breaking for them now and for Lior. The love and devotion you gave to them all can never be replaced. I know everyone says it but I loved you from the first day we met. On my trips to Israel in the early days I looked forward to my visits to Bar Kovach almost as much as I did to seeing Sarid. I remember sitting on the balcony there and talking for hours. Beautiful memories that I will never forget. I loved that you had a such a strong social conscience and you were a man of values and principles. You knew who you were and what you believed in and you were always true to yourself, no matter the circumstances. You were never afraid to say that thing that the rest of us were too scared to say and you loved to leave all of us wondering if you had been joking or not. I can not believe that tomorrow we will all say our final goodbye to you on the day that we should have been celebrating your birthday. It's so unfair. No one loved life more than you and there is no one who wanted to live more. Even when you were sick you were planning all the things you would do when you were better and writing all of them down. You told me many times that one of your dreams was to sit with me in a green and leafy park in Edinburgh and to breathe in the fresh air. I am so sad that we never got to do this together but I promise you that one sunny afternoon I will do this alone and think of you sitting there beside me. You will never grow old like the rest of us will. You will forever be the extremely handsome and beautiful 45 year old man that we all loved dearly. Our family will never be the same without you but we will remember you forever with joy and love in our hearts. Your life was a blessing to us all and I feel privileged to have known you. I am proud to call you my brother-in-law and my friend. Sleep well Nir my love for your suffering is no more. I know that from all the stars in the night's sky yours will shine the brightest. — with Nir Harlev.

Jill

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