Saying goodbye

This weekend past, my husbands grandfather, the wonderful Georgy Faure passed away. Following a long illness, for many of his loved ones it was a huge relief to see him finally in peace.

In his office,  I came across this photograph of Georgy, aged 15, proudly grinning at the camera as he received his "promesse" with his Scout troop. I just love the energy and vibrancy of this image.

The walls surrounding his desk are covered with incredible silk tapestry paintings

Georgy Faure was one of three brothers who  took over the Faure family silk factory which had been founded in 1864 by their father Henri Faure, in the middle of Napoleon III 's reign. Georgy was given the responsibility of looking after the Jacquard ribbon department and where many would ruthlessly discard their old out-of-fashion ribbon stock and outdated salesmen echantillon books, Georgy saved what he could and he was therefore able to donate a huge wealth of Jacquard ribbons to the Museum of Art & Industry (Musée d'art et d'industrie) in Saint-Étienne. The family company still exists today and is run by Georgys son Julien, and you can visit their site here.

The morning after he passed, his family gathered in the family apartment and sat down to a wonderful lunch where we discussed how best to say goodbye and celebrate Georgy. There wasn't a cup of tea in sight.... which would be unheard of in Ireland!

His hat and beret remain untouched, folded over an old silk loom in his office.