Remember Me Fondly

Last night I watched a rather sweet biographical portrait of the actor John Le Mesurier.
The BBC programme entitled "It's all been rather lovely" gave what I suspect was a wholly accurate account of a soft spoken, reserved ambition-less English gentleman who always seemed to do the right thing and who was loved by all who met him.
Le Mesurier seemed to amble gently through his life with the same vagueness he used in his characterization of Sargent Wilson of Dad's Army fame. 
A heavy drinker but never a drunk, he would much prefer listening to Jazz at Ronnie Scott's Club or sitting at the beach watching the sea with a drink rather than stretching himself with roles deemed more serious than the ones he appeared in; and the thing that I was struck with most of all when I listened to this account of his career , was the fact that he was deeply adored and respected by family, partners and colleagues alike.


The tributes given by Le Mesurier's sons were incredibly moving, as it was his gentleness and reserved affection that they particularly remembered......indeed their father's last words perhaps underlined just how he saw life.....he said simply and with his typical breathlessness....."It's all been rather lovely!"
I think that is such a beautiful thing to say

LeMesurier's self penned obituary in The Times

I think all of us would love to be remembered as Le Mesurier was.
It is quite easy to be disliked in  this world.
It is easier to be indifferently thought of (which is perhaps even worse)
but to be fondly  remembered is a lovely swan song to a life.
Don't you think?