Every Man - a tribute

In memory of Kevin Walker Fenton Died 8.5.1989 Collision at sea Sunset and evening star And one clear call for me. And may there be no moaning Of the bar, when I put out to sea. Aged 58 years

Simple and unadorned, this rock stands atop the bluff in memory of a plain man, an every-man. Standing beside the rock, I gazed steadily out to sea wondering what sort of man this was, this Kevin Walker Fenton.

What did he look like? Was he tall, was he fat, was he bald, did he wear a beard? What sort of man would arouse such a dignified feeling of loss? Which friend decided upon the verse? How did they transport and erect the memorial? “Moaning of the bar” did this mean he was a fisherman, or a drinker at the local? It would seem that he was a fatalist. When his time was up, that was how it was meant to be – ‘one clear call’.

How do two boats collide at sea? Standing on the point, with the early morning on-shore breeze caking my face with salt, all that was apparent was the immensity of the Pacific Ocean. What caused two ships to collide at sea? Was Kevin Walker Fenton the only fatality? I nodded sagely as I considered his body to have never been recovered.

Vale Kevin Walker Fenton. May the sunset and evening star continue to chart your journey