Göran Söderman

Goran was one of these inherently good persons, just like his mother Ingastin and it was a real privilege to know him. I left Canada and came to Sweden in 1965 and Ingastina and Ragnar invited me to stay with them. Goran was 16, I was 19 and Eva was just born. He loved music, he would sit practicing with his guitar, and he would invite me into his room to listen and we would talk. He would tell me about his school trip to Communist East Germany and his experiences there and about the band he was in and a whole bunch of other stuff. I realized then that being a cousin is probably better than being a brother. Later, after I had left Sweden, Goran together with his friends in the band, got the idea to start selling K-tell records. They had a record shop in Stockholm and Goran did the post order part. Apparently the record shop didnt do well but the post order business that Goran was responsible for did. I visited Goran many years later at his apartment and place of business in Stockholm and to my surprise he opened the door in his underwear. Hej. Why are you wearing underwear Goran. We are so busy, we just got to get these orders sent out and I dont have time to get dressed. he replied. I left again and didnt return to Sweden for many years. When I did in 1983 I saw that Goran had grown his business even further. I had lost everything in Greece and had returned to Sweden with a wife and two children and desperately needing a job. Goran told me he wanted to diversify away from the music business. We put our heads together and made a deal with my father-in-law in Seattle in the U.S.. He had a 42 foot sailing boat and was willing to give us the boat in order to build a charter business sailing to Alaska. I would captain the boat, my father-in-law would find charters in the U.S and Goran would connect with a travel agency in Sweden to promote the trip and find charters. I flew over to Seattle to prepare the boat and find a crew. Goran came over later. We would be sailing from Seattle through the inside passage along the west coast of Canada to Ketchikan Alaska. Goran hired a pilot with a Cessna sea plane in order for us to reconnoitre the route we would be sailing. We landed half way in Sullivan Bay on the British Columbia coast for fuel and to grab some lunch. We bought salmon eggs from some fishermen and ate them freaking the fishermen out. Hej guys, we use that for bait. We dont eat it. In Sweden its a delicacy. We replied. We took off again in the plane and further up the coast we lost all visibility as a fog rolled in from the sea. The pilot began to panic and started shouting that we were lost. Goran calmed the pilot, I got out the sea charts and as the plane descended we were able to get a visual and fix our position and we followed the coast all the way to Ketchikan. Goran was calm and focused in a panic situation. Good team work! Goran returned right away and I returned to Sweden 3 months later. Despite our efforts we were unable to get the Captain Erics Alaska Charter off the ground and so we ended the project. Back in Sweden I couldnt find work so Goran helped me out by lending me a video camera with a monitor. Why dont you contact real estate agents and propose to film houses The idea worked. Shortly after this Goran went bankrupt. I moved to Holland in 1987 and built a successful consultancy-training business. In order to repay Goran for the help he had given me I offered him the Belgian part of my business but he refused. He did not want to leave his sons. Be at peace my brother. Christer Goran was one of these inherently good persons, just like his mother Ingastin and it was a real privilege to know him. I left Canada and came to Sweden in 1965 and Ingastina and Ragnar invited me to stay with them. Goran was 16, I was 19 and Eva was just born. He loved music, he would sit practicing with his guitar, and he would invite me into his room to listen and we would talk. He would tell me about his school trip to Communist East Germany and his experiences there and about the band he was in and a whole bunch of other stuff. I realized then that being a cousin is probably better than being a brother. Later, after I had left Sweden, Goran together with his friends in the band, got the idea to start selling K-tell records. They had a record shop in Stockholm and Goran did the post order part. Apparently the record shop didnt do well but the post order business that Goran was responsible for did. I visited Goran many years later at his apartment and place of business in Stockholm and to my surprise he opened the door in his underwear. Hej. Why are you wearing underwear Goran. We are so busy, we just got to get these orders sent out and I dont have time to get dressed. he replied. I left again and didnt return to Sweden for many years. When I did in 1983 I saw that Goran had grown his business even further. I had lost everything in Greece and had returned to Sweden with a wife and two children and desperately needing a job. Goran told me he wanted to diversify away from the music business. We put our heads together and made a deal with my father-in-law in Seattle in the U.S.. He had a 42 foot sailing boat and was willing to give us the boat in order to build a charter business sailing to Alaska. I would captain the boat, my father-in-law would find charters in the U.S and Goran would connect with a travel agency in Sweden to promote the trip and find charters. I flew over to Seattle to prepare the boat and find a crew. Goran came over later. We would be sailing from Seattle through the inside passage along the west coast of Canada to Ketchikan Alaska. Goran hired a pilot with a Cessna sea plane in order for us to reconnoitre the route we would be sailing. We landed half way in Sullivan Bay on the British Columbia coast for fuel and to grab some lunch. We bought salmon eggs from some fishermen and ate them freaking the fishermen out. Hej guys, we use that for bait. We dont eat it. In Sweden its a delicacy. We replied. We took off again in the plane and further up the coast we lost all visibility as a fog rolled in from the sea. The pilot began to panic and started shouting that we were lost. Goran calmed the pilot, I got out the sea charts and as the plane descended we were able to get a visual and fix our position and we followed the coast all the way to Ketchikan. Goran was calm and focused in a panic situation. Good team work! Goran returned right away and I returned to Sweden 3 months later. Despite our efforts we were unable to get the Captain Erics Alaska Charter off the ground and so we ended the project. Back in Sweden I couldnt find work so Goran helped me out by lending me a video camera with a monitor. Why dont you contact real estate agents and propose to film houses The idea worked. Shortly after this Goran went bankrupt. I moved to Holland in 1987 and built a successful consultancy-training business. In order to repay Goran for the help he had given me I offered him the Belgian part of my business but he refused. He did not want to leave his sons. Be at peace my brother. Christer Goran was one of these inherently good persons, just like his mother Ingastin and it was a real privilege to know him. I left Canada and came to Sweden in 1965 and Ingastina and Ragnar invited me to stay with them. Goran was 16, I was 19 and Eva was just born. He loved music, he would sit practicing with his guitar, and he would invite me into his room to listen and we would talk. He would tell me about his school trip to Communist East Germany and his experiences there and about the band he was in and a whole bunch of other stuff. I realized then that being a cousin is probably better than being a brother. Later, after I had left Sweden, Goran together with his friends in the band, got the idea to start selling K-tell records. They had a record shop in Stockholm and Goran did the post order part. Apparently the record shop didnt do well but the post order business that Goran was responsible for did. I visited Goran many years later at his apartment and place of business in Stockholm and to my surprise he opened the door in his underwear. Hej. Why are you wearing underwear Goran. We are so busy, we just got to get these orders sent out and I dont have time to get dressed. he replied. I left again and didnt return to Sweden for many years. When I did in 1983 I saw that Goran had grown his business even further. I had lost everything in Greece and had returned to Sweden with a wife and two children and desperately needing a job. Goran told me he wanted to diversify away from the music business. We put our heads together and made a deal with my father-in-law in Seattle in the U.S.. He had a 42 foot sailing boat and was willing to give us the boat in order to build a charter business sailing to Alaska. I would captain the boat, my father-in-law would find charters in the U.S and Goran would connect with a travel agency in Sweden to promote the trip and find charters. I flew over to Seattle to prepare the boat and find a crew. Goran came over later. We would be sailing from Seattle through the inside passage along the west coast of Canada to Ketchikan Alaska. Goran hired a pilot with a Cessna sea plane in order for us to reconnoitre the route we would be sailing. We landed half way in Sullivan Bay on the British Columbia coast for fuel and to grab some lunch. We bought salmon eggs from some fishermen and ate them freaking the fishermen out. Hej guys, we use that for bait. We dont eat it. In Sweden its a delicacy. We replied. We took off again in the plane and further up the coast we lost all visibility as a fog rolled in from the sea. The pilot began to panic and started shouting that we were lost. Goran calmed the pilot, I got out the sea charts and as the plane descended we were able to get a visual and fix our position and we followed the coast all the way to Ketchikan. Goran was calm and focused in a panic situation. Good team work! Goran returned right away and I returned to Sweden 3 months later. Despite our efforts we were unable to get the Captain Erics Alaska Charter off the ground and so we ended the project. Back in Sweden I couldnt find work so Goran helped me out by lending me a video camera with a monitor. Why dont you contact real estate agents and propose to film houses The idea worked. Shortly after this Goran went bankrupt. I moved to Holland in 1987 and built a successful consultancy-training business. In order to repay Goran for the help he had given me I offered him the Belgian part of my business but he refused. He did not want to leave his sons. Be at peace my brother. Christer Goran was one of these inherently good persons, just like his mother Ingastin and it was a real privilege to know him. I left Canada and came to Sweden in 1965 and Ingastina and Ragnar invited me to stay with them. Goran was 16, I was 19 and Eva was just born. He loved music, he would sit practicing with his guitar, and he would invite me into his room to listen and we would talk. He would tell me about his school trip to Communist East Germany and his experiences there and about the band he was in and a whole bunch of other stuff. I realized then that being a cousin is probably better than being a brother. Later, after I had left Sweden, Goran together with his friends in the band, got the idea to start selling K-tell records. They had a record shop in Stockholm and Goran did the post order part. Apparently the record shop didnt do well but the post order business that Goran was responsible for did. I visited Goran many years later at his apartment and place of business in Stockholm and to my surprise he opened the door in his underwear. Hej. Why are you wearing underwear Goran. We are so busy, we just got to get these orders sent out and I dont have time to get dressed. he replied. I left again and didnt return to Sweden for many years. When I did in 1983 I saw that Goran had grown his business even further. I had lost everything in Greece and had returned to Sweden with a wife and two children and desperately needing a job. Goran told me he wanted to diversify away from the music business. We put our heads together and made a deal with my father-in-law in Seattle in the U.S.. He had a 42 foot sailing boat and was willing to give us the boat in order to build a charter business sailing to Alaska. I would captain the boat, my father-in-law would find charters in the U.S and Goran would connect with a travel agency in Sweden to promote the trip and find charters. I flew over to Seattle to prepare the boat and find a crew. Goran came over later. We would be sailing from Seattle through the inside passage along the west coast of Canada to Ketchikan Alaska. Goran hired a pilot with a Cessna sea plane in order for us to reconnoitre the route we would be sailing. We landed half way in Sullivan Bay on the British Columbia coast for fuel and to grab some lunch. We bought salmon eggs from some fishermen and ate them freaking the fishermen out. Hej guys, we use that for bait. We dont eat it. In Sweden its a delicacy. We replied. We took off again in the plane and further up the coast we lost all visibility as a fog rolled in from the sea. The pilot began to panic and started shouting that we were lost. Goran calmed the pilot, I got out the sea charts and as the plane descended we were able to get a visual and fix our position and we followed the coast all the way to Ketchikan. Goran was calm and focused in a panic situation. Good team work! Goran returned right away and I returned to Sweden 3 months later. Despite our efforts we were unable to get the Captain Erics Alaska Charter off the ground and so we ended the project. Back in Sweden I couldnt find work so Goran helped me out by lending me a video camera with a monitor. Why dont you contact real estate agents and propose to film houses The idea worked. Shortly after this Goran went bankrupt. I moved to Holland in 1987 and built a successful consultancy-training business. In order to repay Goran for the help he had given me I offered him the Belgian part of my business but he refused. He did not want to leave his sons. Be at peace my brother. Christer Wishing you peace brother

Thanks for all the warm words, stories and memories ️

Inne i den väldiga romanska kyrkan trängdes turisterna i halvmörket. Valv gapande bakom valv och ingen överblick. Några ljuslågor fladdrade. En ängel utan ansikte omfamnade mig och viskade genom hela kroppen: Skäms inte för att du är människa, var stolt! Inne i dig öppnar sig valv bakom valv oändligt. Du blir aldrig färdig, och det är som det skall. Jag var blind av tårar och föstes ut på den solsjudande piazzan tillsammans med Mr och Mrs Jones, Herr Tanaka och Signora Sabatini och inne i dem alla öppnade sig valv bakom valv oändligt. Dikt av Tomas Tranströmer

i remeber Goran when i was a small boy, we called him uncle in our family even he was cousins with my father. He always made a room lively, and warm. Rest well uncle.

I have great memories of Göran from growing up in Sweden. May he Rest In Peace

Göran and our father are first cousins, however they would always describe each other as brothers. And so he was our uncle. I always thought of him as such. We werent in touch much as the years flew by and I moved to the Middle East and had children of my own, but I have many memories of my childhood in Sweden and all of them have you in them, always the calm and kind uncle, who together with my father would get each other laughing as only brothers can. Both of you were usually a calm presence unless you were together, then the laughter youd bring out in each other would echo! Because of your closeness, you welcomed us as children to run in and out of your home and play with the boys at any time, always warmly welcome, never a hard word, just kindness. Thats how youll always be remembered by me; in the big summer green garden, surrounded by us kids running around while you crack jokes and laugh with my dad. Dearest Göran May you Rest In Peace

We had been moving around a lot. The only family I knew were my two grandfathers, both who visited regularly regardless of where we lived at any given time. Mom would speak of her large family in the USA. She was 1 out of 14 children born to an Irish Catholic household. My sister and I would look at her family photo and try to remember all the names of our aunties and uncles we never met. Dad, on the other hand, was an only child. His mother had died four years before I was born. He was estranged (by choice) from everyone else. So when we moved to Sweden "to be close to family" it was a daunting prospect. My fifth birthday was spent with family I did not know, but who loved me anyways. Göran was one of those people. "This is my brother." my father announced. My sister and I look at each other full of doubt. This does not fit with the doctrine we've been taught. Our mother corrects him, letting us know this is in fact Pappa's cousin. " But he is like my brother." My father insists. And indeed there are undeniable similarities. Both have dark blond hair with red undertones and beards. Both have the same shaped eyes. Both have a quiet intelligence and a reserved presence. Dad is tall and angular, Göran is softer and shorter, but still there is no doubt that they come from the same stock. When together, both their faces would relax and smiles would breakout. They would look younger, almost like children again. Bearded children a meter taller than any other child in the room. Exchanging looks would be enough for them to start chuckling. Going to visit the cousins (Johan and Martin) was one of our favorite things to do. We would take the train one village over and walk to the top of the hill. There was a lovely large red house where Göran and Christina lived with the boys. Johan was quiet and shy, Martin was more boisterous (Erik hadn't been born yet). We were welcome. No questions, no strikt rules. We'd run up and down the stairs, going from the toys upstairs to the grownups downstairs, Johan a few feet behind us and Martin, giving up on keeping up with us, would just wait for us in the hallway (wed stop at regular intervals and coo at what a beautiful baby he was). Göran would speak passionately about music. He had a large music collection and had made a career producing and selling records. We visited his office regularly too, with piles of records on any given surface. Help yourself, he'd offer. He was not boastful about his success but you could see that there was a lot of (well earned) pride there. He seemed to know how to string songs together. I have no doubt if he was a young man today he'd be working for Spotify or scouting for talent on social media. The idea that he's gone is a hard one for me to grasp. I found Görans blog (obriar.blogspot.com) and I want to share a quote from him: "Perhaps there is a truth in the fact that when we pass away, we live on in the memories of loved ones deep inside their brains and that this is really what reincarnation is." Göran will live on. Besides his family and friends, I have no doubt that everyone who had time with him, or have listened to one of his playlists, will remember him in some small way. Göran was very much loved by us. I'm reading through pages and pages of his blog and smiling at all the things we have in common. When I think about him, I don't think about specific memories. But rather about a feeling I had whenever he was around. He (his parents and sister) made me feel like I belonged and that I had a family. For me that is, and will always be, invaluable. Through the generations small parts of genetic material will reappear and he'll live on in this way too. Not gone. Just not here in the same way he was before. Namaste Farbror.