Eulogy at the Mass for the repose of the soul of Robert W. Lamanque April 19, 2016 presented by his daughters Karen and Trista and his grandson DJ “Le Jongleur de Notre Dame” DJ: “Once there was a very talented juggler named Barnabe who had tired of wandering up and down the roads of France and decided that it would be better if he were to dedicate his life to God, as a monk. He entered the monastery with which he was familiar and quite happy. Now, it was the custom of the monastery to do things in honor of the Blessed Mother. One monk would write poetry, another would sculpt, another would paint, and so on. The Juggler could do nothing like this and became quite despondent. Then suddenly he was happy again. Soon the Prior began to notice that Barnabe would disappear every day for about an hour. He wondered what the Juggler was doing and followed him. The Juggler went into the chapel and proceeded to do all of his juggling tricks in front of the statue of Our Lady and before the horrified eyes of the Prior. He ran and got the Abbot to see the sacrilege that was being committed in the chapel. But when they both started up the aisle to stop the Juggler they saw the statue come to life and Our Lady wipe the sweat off the brow of the Juggler.” KAREN: The Juggler Legend is the story behind the nickname for students of my father’s alma matre Notre Dame High School in Utica, NY. The moral the school’s founders wished to impress upon its attendees is that, “if you do the best you can, God will be pleased”. There is little wonder why my father sought to attend Notre Dame. Except for our Father in heaven and the intercession of Our Lady, it was the impossible dream for a child that grew up in an orphanage and foster home. The Juggler Legend and its moral set the tone for his life as my father lived to please God by doing the best he could. TRISTA: Uncle Bob, Cousin Robert, Robert, Bobby, Grandpa, Dad, the name by which you call my dad has a common thread. These names are a calling to his faith and an offering in return to the best of who he is. Friends of my father, you are his piano and forte. Sisters, Auntie Gigi, Auntie Nena, you are his rhyme. Cousins, nieces and nephews you are his rhythm. DJ, Vincent, RayRay, and Rory, you are his prose. Karen, Jacques-Paul, and myself, we are his notes. Mom, you are his muse. Beloved friends and family, we are the symphony Dad offers to honor the Blessed Mother. Surrounded by your love and prayers for the repose of the soul of our beloved father, we are inspired to live our lives by his example – to do our best to please God.