"Valentino, you were the person I spoke to, not the person I spoke about. You were beside me when words were not needed. Life was not always perfect, but it was real. One day at a time, for more than 40 years, all strung together, became extraordinary because we were living them together. This is what I'll miss about you most."
"I know how many people loved you, and I'm grateful for that, but what we shared was ours alone, and I will hold that carefully for the rest of my life. I don't say goodbye today, I say thank you. For choosing me, for walking with me, and for leaving me changed forever. Thank you."
"I did not really plan to speak today, I was not convinced I'd be able to. And I'm still not quite sure I can get through this, so please bear with me. The last words we said to each other? I love you. It will be impossible for me not to remember. I am devastated."
Valentino Garavani died at age 93. His funeral took place at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome on Friday. Giancarlo Giammetti and Vernon Bruce Hoeksema addressed the congregation. Hoeksema, an American and Valentino's companion for more than 40 years, delivered an emotional tribute and said he had not planned to speak. He described Valentino as the person he spoke to, not about, and said their shared life made ordinary days extraordinary. Hoeksema said he would hold their private bond carefully and recalled that their final exchange was “I love you.” Valentino was born in Lombardy in 1932 and studied in Paris in the early 1950s, apprenticing with couturiers including Guy Laroche.
Read at Queerty
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