Ed McConkey, brother

Before I start my speech, I want to tell a little about the significance of this wreath of flowers. It is made of Lilacs and Roses. Before she was born our dad was walking around the yard with Uncle Charlie who was our mothers uncle from Sweden. Jack was asking him what the names of the different flowers were in Swedish. When he pointed at the lilac, Unc replied Syren. Jack thought that would be a beautiful girls name. He did a more phonetic spelling and the name Surain was born. We had a salesman that retired from the company and began hybridizing roses. One of these he named Surain. I wish to say that we had one of those rose bushes, but we don't. Anyway, that is why I feel this wreath represents Surain.

The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is credited with saying, "It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." Surain showed us how to face death bravely and it is probably because she lived life without letting fear stop her.

I am Ed McConkey, Surain's little brother. I am 4½ years younger so my memories of Surain when we were young are sketchy. I do remember her though showing me how to ride a bike standing on the seat. I also think her not fearing the consequences and doing some wild things got her in trouble a few times because I can remember her getting grounded a few times.

In going through family pictures, I came across a letter Surain had written to our parents when they were traveling in Europe her junior year in high school. She was getting ready for prom when she decided that she should sew a coat for it. She stayed up all night sewing and got it ready. The day after the prom she and some friends decided to go for a drive, they ended up in Vancouver, B.C. She never was afraid to "just do it" and was always up for an adventure.

I mentioned Surain's letter. Those of you who had the good fortune of getting a letter or postcard from Surain knew she had a gift for writing that made you feel you were sharing her adventure with her.

She loved her family. One Friday when living in Denver she decided she hadn't been home in awhile and since she had just been paid, she went and blew her whole paycheck on a ticket to come home for the weekend. She traveled far, but was always close.

Many of the good times I remember with Surain were when we were both single and working at the family business. Like the time we were sitting around the office saying we should change things around some. Well in Surain's typical way, she said let's do it. When people came to work the next morning, the only way they new where their desk was was to check the drawers to figure out which was theirs.

Or the time we went for a train ride to Bellingham. At that time Amtrak didn't make that run so this meant we had to jump a freight. It was an adventure I will never forget.

Surain worked in the U.S. Embassy in Vienna for a short time, but in those months she changed the embassy making the people get out their jeans and going out to venture around the city and learn what Vienna was truly all about. After her stay there, I traveled around Europe with her and we were seeing Europe in an adventurous way. Eating in little cafes and just venturing off around a city in any direction just to see what the back roads were like.

When Ulla wrote from Sweden saying she was going to Nepal and did anybody want to follow with, it was Surain who had no fear and said yes. I was the more conservative and stayed behind thinking I had all these things I needed to tend to. Who knows, if I had done that trek too, Ulla and I may have married a few years earlier.

I hope we all remember to forget our fears a little more often like Surain showed us so that we can truly live. Her years here on earth were too short, but she lived more in those years than most of us will do in twice the lifetime. I will really miss Surain.