A funeral and memorial for my father

I hate to have to do this, and even more so that it’s actually happened. But late last night I lost my father in my arms after a long, long battle with many illnesses. He fought with everything he had for years, and doctors told us he had a long time left. This was totally unexpected and has left my family in pieces. He taught me everything I know from working hard for everything you have, raising a family, being a man, planning for the future and playing every sport there is out there. He was a simple guy. He loved his family, his 4 cats, watching horse races and tv shows, and playing the lotto. All I ever wanted to do was take care of him. I was able to get 3 last minutes with him when I saw him last night. It’s like he was waiting for me to come home so he could see me and say goodbye before losing the fight. Him and my mother have known each other since they were 7 and been together since high school. She is also battling a rare disease that has left her unable to work and carries a high fatality rate. They were all each other had and when we got home from the hospital she found out his life insurance policy expired 2 weeks ago leaving her with the fear of funeral costs and where to go from here. My brother and I are doing all we can and would like to ease the burden for her while being able to give my father a proper funeral and memorial that he deserves. Thank you all so much for taking the time to hear our story. I love you Dad!