Funeral of Finn Knottman and August Solarin III

The funeral of Finn Knottman took place in Athens today as the Knottman family and the great and good of Republican politics gathered to pay their respects.

All of the extended Knottman clan were in attendance, with Dr Cevin Knottman, Summer Knottman, Rep Yassine Knottman the most prominent. Missing was Captain Diwan Solarin, who was on active duty in the Republic Navy and unable to get back.

Many of the Republic's most prominent families were in attendance, with the Valanes, Sondeheims, van Haeftens, Avander-Slades and Rishis all turning up to see off the late Finn Knottman.

The highly moving eulogy was given by Yassine Knottman.

"When Dad left me his will and disappeared under my nose to fly off to New Berlin, I didn’t understand. What could drive him to leave everything behind.

The truth is, I don’t think he ever felt loved. He loved much in return, his husband August, Diwan and I, his siblings, his friends, too many to count, the people at Complete Picture, Forge, the parties … But I think there was a hole somewhere in there, that drove him to give too much, all the time. If Dad ever did anything to help you, it was often generous to the point of suspicion, too personal, too weird. He hung on to relationships most people left in the past for a shred of love or intimacy.

Calling it selflessness would be a lie, he was constantly screaming for attention, screaming against the infinity of space to be noticed, maybe if he made himself as big and bright as a star, the hole would finally be filled?

Paradoxically I don’t think he expected he’d ever die. His last act before he left, alongside leaving me his will, were instructions to donate enough money to finish building the full Federal Healthcare Provision. But in exchange, he asked that a wing be named after aunt Julianna. So I think he really expected to make it back from New Berlin, otherwise he’d have asked to name it after him.

Anyway, whatever the reasons, he fought his entire life for a better future. I think I can say he lived a full life and left the world better than when he was born, and I hope I can live up to that.

I’m just sad he’ll never meet his grandchildren. He would have had so many stories to tell them. "