Torsten Langballe Mogensen

We are all here for Torsten.

Thank you all for coming here to say goodbye to him.

Exactly 20 years ago Torsten and Ia bought the house here in Cazouls from Bernard Martin.

They had visited 54 other villages before finding number 55 Cazouls, and after a degustation at the tourist office they nodded to each other and decided to settle here for their retirement.

First I want to thank all of his friends who have helped him these last few months.

Your patient efforts made him happy and able to enjoy the last months of his life.

Thank you Annelise and Corinne for your hard work caring for him. He could be a stubborn old goat.

Thank you doctors and nurses, both here in the village and at the hospital in Beziers.

Your efforts made sure he did not suffer.

At 84 he had simply worn out his heart, body, and mind, even though he did not want to admit it.

He was sure he had another 20 years to go.

Torsten has always been an Optimist

• At his 50th birthday party, his childhood friend said “Torsten still believes in Santa Claus” and everyone nodded in agreement.
• He kept his childhood belief in God for a long time.
• Christmas was a time of family, food, wine, and presents, but there would always be a reading from the bible first.

Torsten was always cheerful and hard-working.

He was like this his whole life - he did not know any other way to be.

Happy, cheerful, and enthusiastic.

He was, as we say in Norway, whole wood.

Sturdy and dependable.

He went to school in Denmark, where he studied Latin, French and German.

The school motto was: “Memento Vivere” – Remember to live!

I think Torsten took the words to heart, because he lived a lot.

Working as a tourist guide in Greece he iced his appendix instead of having surgery. He did not want to interrupt the tour. Then he did it again a second time the next month.

Torsten travelled to Africa, where he met Benny and Patrick. Then he met Ia at Benny and Patrick’s wedding. Grandmother decided that Torsten was the one for Ia, and that was that.

Erik and I arrived 50 years ago.

We grew up with oval breakfast plates.
They all have a drawing and a brief poem on them, all by the Danish mathematician Piet Hein.

I remember many of them:

        Husk de tre TTT, Slit, men vit, Ting Tar Tid

        Remember the three TTT. Work hard, but remember that Things Take Time

        Husk at elske mens du tør det: Husk at leve mens du gjør det

        Remember to love while you dare / Remember to live while you do

Torsten taught us all these things by example.

Torsten enjoyed summers at the cabin in Norway

• It is the cabin painted on the wall above the pool
• Every morning he made and served coffee in bed for everyone else
• Then he had a refreshing morning swim in the ocean
• Finally he would relax with music and news on the radio at the water's edge.

He taught us to sail.

He tried to interest us in the outdoors, but we found books and TV and computers to be much more interesting. He did not show any sign of disappointment to us.

Torsten was always encouraging, even when he did not agree with our choices.

• Erik quit university to go work. Torsten was impressed he had found a job at IBM.
• When we were out skiing in the forest, he would tempt us “just a little further. One more hill and then it’s time for a rest stop with oranges or chocolate”
• When I struggled with my homework he said “finish this page, and we’ll read some comics”.

The Mogensen family had no drama

• Ia and Torsten managed to hide any arguments they had so well that we don’t think they actually had any. The idea of mum and father shouting at each other was inconceivable.
• We grew up in a loving home - we trusted them. They supported us in all our interests, but did not push us. My poor efforts at guitar lessons only resulted in my brother inheriting my guitar.

Torsten was always calm and stable. I’ve never seen him panic.

He was very organised. Everything has its proper place.

One of my classmates from the Emirates wrote:

• In our culture, we would say he was blessed to pass away in his sleep, a sign of a life lived well, with kindness and integrity. May he live forever in your hearts and deeds.

He loved people and he loved doing things - sitting around doing nothing was not for him.

Fortunately Cazouls offers many activities.

Some 30 years ago Torsten had found some old oil paints and brushes left over from his grandfather. I asked him what they were for, and he said they were for retirement. He wanted to try his hand at painting as his own grandfather had done. His grandfather had painted landscapes in Italy and Denmark alongside more famous Danish painters.

Torsten lived his dream: he painted and danced in the south of France with a community of artists.

Thank you to the many clubs he participated in: Les artistes Cazoulins, Les Treilles, Rotary, Les amis de l’orgue, les Chantegosiers, le Culture Viviane, the band, and many more. You gave him so much joy.

He even managed to start his own club these last few months: the Torsten support club, helping him with food and newspapers, taking care of him and the house. Thank you so much for helping him.

Torsten lives on in your hearts and your actions.

We look forward to sharing stories and a glass with you at 15h in the Salle Jacques Maurel.

Memento Vivere