This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Simon Douglas-Dufresne, 51, born on July 31, 1962 and passed away on July 7, 2014. We will remember him forever.
Tributes
Leave a tributeremembering all the fun at SealeHayne, Chudleigh, and trips to Dijon in your Deux Cheveaux. Your courage and openness is never for gotten...you are truly missed my friend. Neville
This year, we spend the most beautiful family time in France and Kenya, we had a toast for Alan, you, Shirlie and Willy R., right at the top of the mountains where the views were espectacular.
A baby eagle welcomed us in this place making it even more special.
Love you, and miss you so so so much...Happy birthday again!! Young forever! My Don Simon!!
Impresionante y hermoso el Memorial celebrado por la familia y amigos en honor de Simón.
Simón es el amigo que siempre tendré presente por que prefiero pensar
que ha hecho un viaje para estar con otros Angeles
Tuve la suerte de conocerlo cuando llegó a Cajamarca con Ileana con la
ilusión de poder practicar su gran pasión por la aviación, habiéndonos propuesto reactivar el Aero Club de Cajamarca o formar uno nuevo, en ese entonces yo me encontraba en Cajamarca sólo y desde el primer
momento Simón e Ileana me invitaban a pasar los fines de semana los
tres haciendo un pick nic por el campo y dedicarnos a buscar sitios
apropiados para poder hacer una pista de aterrizaje (Para Simón todos
eran buenos).
Simon como buen hijo, hermano, esposo y padre en todo momento me
hablaba de su familia y Kenia, animándome a ir para a conocerlos( Con
gran pena tuve que desistir de mi viaje por razones de salud)
Cuando decidieron radicar en Cajamarca, Simón ya se había hecho una persona muy querida y conocida por la gente de la ciudad y del campo por su Don de Gentes, ahora lo tenemos representado por Ileana, Alfoncito, Peia y Dylan.
Con un fuerte abrazo para toda la familia,
Don Joaquin Santolalla Fernández
TRANSLATION AS FOLLOWS:
Shirlie, Tania,Helen y Hugo,
...Very impressive and beautiful Memorial celebrated by family and friends in honor of Simon.
Simon is the friend I would always have in my thoughts because I prefer to think he is just doing a trip to be with the Angels.
I was lucky enough to meet him when he arrived to Cajamarca with Ileana and with this great illusion of practicing his passion for aviation either by having us reactivating the Cajamarca Aeroclub or by conforming a new one, I was then in Cajamarca alone and since the first time I had Simon and Ileana inviting me to spend the weekends, having pick-nics by the country side fields and wondering for an appropriated place for a landing airstrip (For Simon all the options were good)
Simon as a good son, brother, husband and father was always talking about his family in Kenya, chearing me up to come and meet them (With a big sorrow I had to desist from my trip and stayed home, my health was an issue)
Because of his nice and kind way with people when Simon and Ileana decided to live in Cajamarca, Simon was already a very much loved and know person by people from the city and the country side, today we still have him with us trough Ileana, Alfoncito, Peia and Dylan.
A big and strong hug to all the family,
Don Joaquin Santolalla Fernández
Hoy que es un día un poco difícil quiero decirte que tuviste la suerte de compartir tu vida con un ser humano maravilloso, con un hombre bueno y solidario; un buen esposo y padre, y eso es muy bueno, porque otras personas no tienen esa bendición.
Yo doy gracias a Dios por haberlo conocido y a ti con el. En ese orden, no porque Simon sea mejor que tu sino por que el ya no esta fisicamente con nosotros; y contigo espero compartir muchos años y seguir gozando de muchas cosas, entre otras, los relatos sobre ese lado del mundo casi fantástico para nosotros, su kenya con sabor a safari, rios inmensos e hipopotamos.
Lo recuerdo con su sonrisa de niño bueno y creo que así esta hoy, viéndote a ti y a su hijo, fuertes y saliendo adelante.
Un abrazo muy fuerte con todo el cariño de mi corazón.
Rosa Maria (La Dra. de la Notaria)
TRANSLATION IS AS FOLLOWS...
Dear Ileana,
Today must be a very difficult day but wanted to remind you how lucky you are to have shared your life with such a wonderful human bean, a good and solidary man; a very good husband and father, and that is really good, because many other people never have such blessing in their lives.
I thank our God for meeting him and to you with him. In that order, and not because he is better than you but because he is the one physically absent with us; and with you I am hoping to share many more years and continue enjoying of many things, among all, the stories about that side of the world for sure fantastic for us, his beloved Kenya with taste of safaries, inmense rivers and hipos.
I remember him with his good little kid's smile and I believe he remains like that today, watching you and his son been strong and pushing to getting on again and move forwards.
A big big hug with all the love from my heart.
Rosa Maria
I never found out about Simon's passing till today when I saw something Rob Hart posted on the Pembroke page. I'm so sorry that it has taken so long.
I remember Simon at Pembroke House School in Gilgil as one of the most tenacious and loyal people you could ever meet.
He didn't know the meaning of defeat and had more courage and determination than anyone could match.
I never got to spend time with him as an adult, as our paths went separate ways.
But I imagine that the qualities that I saw as a youngster carried on for life and beyond.
Kwaheri, rafiki!
They had a fabulous father and amazing adventures with you.
Your immense energy will be with them and us forever.
Thank you for having walked the path of life with me, even if so briefly.
I think of you often and it will be impossible not to feel you every time I will walk the Chyulu. I will have a smile, as that is exactly what you would like!
Keep sending the good energy you have brought to all who had the luck to know you.
Farewell my friend, we will fly together again one day...
Antonella
Time spent with him was always too short.
He lived a full life, fun and exciting.
We will all miss him, so much.
Go well.
Impressions of a Pilot
By Gary Stoker
Flight is freedom in its purest form,
To dance with the clouds which follow the storm;
To roll and glide, to wheel and spin,
To feel the joy that swells within.
To leave the earth with its troubles and fly,
And know the warmth of the summer sky;
Then back to earth at the end of the day,
Released from the tension which melted away.
Should my end come while I am in flight,
Whether brightest day or darkest night;
Spare me no pity and shrug off the pain,
Secure in the knowledge that I'd do it again.
For each of us is created to die,
And within me I know,
I was born to fly.
Cheers Simon have a good flight
Pete
Leave a Tribute
Life is Short
The Family Safary!!
Simon was an incredible guy, never frightend to do any thing, he was fun, crazy, enjoyed life to the full and died while having fun in his new aeroplane.. So he deserved a good send off..
We found the most amazing spot in the middle of the Kaisut desert with lovely trees for camping, an incredible flat strip for planes to land on and a pile of rocks in the shape of an arena to do the talking!! As a back ground we had the Ndoto mountains, and Poi which was beautiful and the desert was buzzing with good vibes!
We managed to get the whole family out to Kenya.. From France, Morocco, America and Peru, plus 80 friends of Simons, so totalling 101 people ( 21 aeroplanes) to celebrate his life at Soit Ele-Salau.. All sitting on the rocks in the middle of nowhere to say goodbye.. Also at 6.00 pm we had people all over the world lifting a glass at the same time as us on the rocks to Simon!.. The Rendille elders started the whole ceremony with a lovely blessing!!
Fuzz Dyer who has taken on Simons beautiful 1954 aeroplane ( cessna 180) managed to land it near the rocks and it was silloueted, as we had a slow 'fly' past of 40 camels as the sun was setting!! The camels all settled near a huge bon fire, while lots of stories and happy memories and laughter were pouring out.. The almost full moon rose soon after and we had a wonderful dinner and evening under the stars.. ...
After that, most of the family walked the 100 kms back to Elkanto from the rocks!! Ileana his wife who was in the plane crash with him, her life in ruins one year ago, including a completly smashed knee, also walked, Lemagas carried her's and simon's 1 year and 8 month baby, and my mother went in the car, which caught up with us when ever possible!.. While crossing the south end of the Ndotos on a lovely rock, looking back into the desert and the whirl winds, suddenly the warriors burst into a song for Simon.. very moving!! ( a lot of the pictures are taken on this pass!)
So all in all a great farewell, and special way to honor a brother who loved life!!
We put his ashes into the lake at Baringo 2 weeks later and every one broke down and cried but suddenly a huge storm, with wind and rain came from nowhere ( organsed by Simon!!!) We all jumped into the lake, cleared the tears and rushed back to the Island!!
The next morning a beautiful sunrise to beat all!! (organised by Simon!!!)
Anyway I recon the moral of the story is enjoy, stay well and be happy!!
HelenLetter from Tony
Dear Helen,
>
> You and your family are such very old and valued friends - we go back a long
> way to those unforgettable days of the Mau forest. I would not have missed
> Simon's Kwaheri for anything in the world, and what a truly fabulous
> send-off you arranged; the work you and your team must have put into it was
> mind-boggling. I don't believe there has ever been, in Kenya, such a
> farewell. I appreciated it immensely and thank you yet again for letting me
> share that day with you and so many of your Kenya friends.
>
> Your email 'we made it a message of thanks' is filed with my other treasured
> memories.
>
> Sarah joins me with a huge hug,
>
> Tony