• Genre
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Donate
  • Search
Menu

Speakola

All Speeches Great and Small
  • Genre
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Donate
  • Search

Eulogies

Some of the most moving and brilliant speeches ever made occur at funerals. Please upload the eulogy for your loved one using the form below.

For Connie Johnson: 'Cancer really does take the f*cking good ones', by Carrie Bickmore - 2017

February 5, 2020

22 September 2017, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia

Cancer really does take the f*cking good ones. And breathe . . .

I first met Connie about four years ago, when Connie and Sam launched Love Your Sister and Sam had this crazy idea to unicycle around the country. I joined him for a ride on the Perth leg of his journey and surprise him with Connie who flew over at the time. I didn't know either of them really before that and what I discovered during that ride was a brother and sister bond like no other and a drive just like mine to rid the world of cancer.

I don't think Sam realised at the time that that ride was as beneficial for me as it was for you, I know what your mission was, but for me it was a chance to chat to someone who watched someone they loved dearly in a huge amount of pain, and that chat will stay with me for a long time. It felt like a private chat even though it was broadcast to the nation.

I continued to follow your journey over the years and watched as the village grows and your fundraising efforts soar. What you and Connie are achieving together is phenomenal and I say achieving together in the present tense because even though Connie has passed away her mission to rid this world of cancer is only just beginning. With Sam, and Emma, and your whole family all the team of villagers continuing Connie's legacy, Love Your Sister will continue to achieve incredible things and I don't think it's going to stop until no one dies from cancer again.

I have been reflecting a lot in the past few weeks about Connie and her journey and how Connie chose to fight her cancer battle publicly, not privately. She could have fought it privately, she had every right to fight it privately, but instead she let us all in on her journey and she taught us so much. She taught us to cherish being a mum, to make time to be silly with the kids and have fun. And I've certainly, in the last few weeks, had Connie at the forefront of my mind. Every time I played with my kids, I played a bit longer each time, think how lucky we are as mums to be able to play with our kids.

She's taught us what it's truly like to be a cancer patient, what it's really like. But most of all she's taught us how to be a bloody good human being. Cancer as we've spoken about tonight affects you not just physically but mentally, and also impacts every single person connected to the cancer patient, which makes being so open with the world incredibly hard and incredibly hard for those around you and your family as well. But that's why Connie touched so many hearts because we got to see the real journey, the highs, the lows, the small wins, the setbacks, the days where it seems impossible and it's ripping your family apart and then the days where everyone is unified and ready to battle. There are not many people that have the ability to rally a nation the way Connie has, all of you here know how personally she has touched your life, it will be different for every single one of us, but the size of her village shows just how wide her heart is and how long her arms are. No matter what type of cancer has affected your family we're all in this together — this country will continue Connie's mission.

To Mark and to the kids, we're also thinking of you and we know once the services stop and the casseroles stop being delivered and life goes back to normal, for most of us, it doesn't go back to normal for you, and I hope that you can transition into your new normal peacefully and privately knowing that we are all thinking of you.

The world is a smaller place without her big heart in it, but thank God we got the chance to know Connie Johnson, I will always be thankful for that.


Carrie Bickmore and Connie Johnson.png


Connie died on 8 September 2017. Donate now, or get your Connie Cottonsocks at https://loveyoursister.ecwid.com. Join The Village over at http://www.facebook.com/loveyoursister

Source: https://www.popsugar.com.au/celebrity/Carr...

Enjoyed this speech? Speakola is a labour of love and I’d be very grateful if you would share, tweet or like it. Thank you.

Facebook Twitter Facebook
Tags CONNIE JOHNSON, CARRIE BICKMORE, SAMUEL JOHNSON, LOVEYOURSISTER, TRANSCRIPT, EULOGY, CANCER
Comment

See my film!

Limited Australian Season

March 2025

Details and ticket bookings at

angeandtheboss.com

Support Speakola

Hi speech lovers,
With costs of hosting website and podcast, this labour of love has become a difficult financial proposition in recent times. If you can afford a donation, it will help Speakola survive and prosper.

Best wishes,
Tony Wilson.

Become a Patron!

Learn more about supporting Speakola.

Featured political

Featured
Jon Stewart: "They responded in five seconds", 9-11 first responders, Address to Congress - 2019
Jon Stewart: "They responded in five seconds", 9-11 first responders, Address to Congress - 2019
Jacinda Ardern: 'They were New Zealanders. They are us', Address to Parliament following Christchurch massacre - 2019
Jacinda Ardern: 'They were New Zealanders. They are us', Address to Parliament following Christchurch massacre - 2019
Dolores Ibárruri: "¡No Pasarán!, They shall not pass!', Defense of 2nd Spanish Republic - 1936
Dolores Ibárruri: "¡No Pasarán!, They shall not pass!', Defense of 2nd Spanish Republic - 1936
Jimmy Reid: 'A rat race is for rats. We're not rats', Rectorial address, Glasgow University - 1972
Jimmy Reid: 'A rat race is for rats. We're not rats', Rectorial address, Glasgow University - 1972

Featured eulogies

Featured
For Geoffrey Tozer: 'I have to say we all let him down', by Paul Keating - 2009
For Geoffrey Tozer: 'I have to say we all let him down', by Paul Keating - 2009
for James Baldwin: 'Jimmy. You crowned us', by Toni Morrison - 1988
for James Baldwin: 'Jimmy. You crowned us', by Toni Morrison - 1988
for Michael Gordon: '13 days ago my Dad’s big, beautiful, generous heart suddenly stopped beating', by Scott and Sarah Gordon - 2018
for Michael Gordon: '13 days ago my Dad’s big, beautiful, generous heart suddenly stopped beating', by Scott and Sarah Gordon - 2018

Featured commencement

Featured
Tara Westover: 'Your avatar isn't real, it isn't terribly far from a lie', The Un-Instagrammable Self, Northeastern University - 2019
Tara Westover: 'Your avatar isn't real, it isn't terribly far from a lie', The Un-Instagrammable Self, Northeastern University - 2019
Tim Minchin: 'Being an artist requires massive reserves of self-belief', WAAPA - 2019
Tim Minchin: 'Being an artist requires massive reserves of self-belief', WAAPA - 2019
Atul Gawande: 'Curiosity and What Equality Really Means', UCLA Medical School - 2018
Atul Gawande: 'Curiosity and What Equality Really Means', UCLA Medical School - 2018
Abby Wambach: 'We are the wolves', Barnard College - 2018
Abby Wambach: 'We are the wolves', Barnard College - 2018
Eric Idle: 'America is 300 million people all walking in the same direction, singing 'I Did It My Way'', Whitman College - 2013
Eric Idle: 'America is 300 million people all walking in the same direction, singing 'I Did It My Way'', Whitman College - 2013
Shirley Chisholm: ;America has gone to sleep', Greenfield High School - 1983
Shirley Chisholm: ;America has gone to sleep', Greenfield High School - 1983

Featured sport

Featured
Joe Marler: 'Get back on the horse', Harlequins v Bath pre game interview - 2019
Joe Marler: 'Get back on the horse', Harlequins v Bath pre game interview - 2019
Ray Lewis : 'The greatest pain of my life is the reason I'm standing here today', 52 Cards -
Ray Lewis : 'The greatest pain of my life is the reason I'm standing here today', 52 Cards -
Mel Jones: 'If she was Bradman on the field, she was definitely Keith Miller off the field', Betty Wilson's induction into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame - 2017
Mel Jones: 'If she was Bradman on the field, she was definitely Keith Miller off the field', Betty Wilson's induction into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame - 2017
Jeff Thomson: 'It’s all those people that help you as kids', Hall of Fame - 2016
Jeff Thomson: 'It’s all those people that help you as kids', Hall of Fame - 2016

Fresh Tweets

  • Tony Wilson
    “Just because we own these teams doesn’t mean they belong to us” — beautiful, beautiful speech from Rebecca on Ted… https://t.co/gmDSATppss
    May 17, 2023, 11:51 PM

Featured weddings

Featured
Dan Angelucci: 'The Best (Best Man) Speech of all time', for Don and Katherine - 2019
Dan Angelucci: 'The Best (Best Man) Speech of all time', for Don and Katherine - 2019
Hallerman Sisters: 'Oh sister now we have to let you gooooo!' for Caitlin & Johnny - 2015
Hallerman Sisters: 'Oh sister now we have to let you gooooo!' for Caitlin & Johnny - 2015
Korey Soderman (via Kyle): 'All our lives I have used my voice to help Korey express his thoughts, so today, like always, I will be my brother’s voice' for Kyle and Jess - 2014
Korey Soderman (via Kyle): 'All our lives I have used my voice to help Korey express his thoughts, so today, like always, I will be my brother’s voice' for Kyle and Jess - 2014

Featured Arts

Featured
Bruce Springsteen: 'They're keepers of some of the most beautiful sonic architecture in rock and roll', Induction U2 into Rock Hall of Fame - 2005
Bruce Springsteen: 'They're keepers of some of the most beautiful sonic architecture in rock and roll', Induction U2 into Rock Hall of Fame - 2005
Olivia Colman: 'Done that bit. I think I have done that bit', BAFTA acceptance, Leading Actress - 2019
Olivia Colman: 'Done that bit. I think I have done that bit', BAFTA acceptance, Leading Actress - 2019
Axel Scheffler: 'The book wasn't called 'No Room on the Broom!', Illustrator of the Year, British Book Awards - 2018
Axel Scheffler: 'The book wasn't called 'No Room on the Broom!', Illustrator of the Year, British Book Awards - 2018
Tina Fey: 'Only in comedy is an obedient white girl from the suburbs a diversity candidate', Kennedy Center Mark Twain Award -  2010
Tina Fey: 'Only in comedy is an obedient white girl from the suburbs a diversity candidate', Kennedy Center Mark Twain Award - 2010

Featured Debates

Featured
Sacha Baron Cohen: 'Just think what Goebbels might have done with Facebook', Anti Defamation League Leadership Award - 2019
Sacha Baron Cohen: 'Just think what Goebbels might have done with Facebook', Anti Defamation League Leadership Award - 2019
Greta Thunberg: 'How dare you', UN Climate Action Summit - 2019
Greta Thunberg: 'How dare you', UN Climate Action Summit - 2019
Charlie Munger: 'The Psychology of Human Misjudgment', Harvard University - 1995
Charlie Munger: 'The Psychology of Human Misjudgment', Harvard University - 1995
Lawrence O'Donnell: 'The original sin of this country is that we invaders shot and murdered our way across the land killing every Native American that we could', The Last Word, 'Dakota' - 2016
Lawrence O'Donnell: 'The original sin of this country is that we invaders shot and murdered our way across the land killing every Native American that we could', The Last Word, 'Dakota' - 2016