Jenni Kokander talks about the death of her father Tarmo Hakala in an interview with Anna magazine.
Jenni Kokander’s father died in February. ATTE KAJOVA
Actress Jenni Kokander, 45, talks about her father’s death Anna magazine in a recent interview. Kokander’s father, visual artist Tarmo Hakala, died in mid-February. He was 74 years old.
Hakala spent the rest of her time in the hospital. In the last days, Kokander sat with his father and read him poems.
On the night of his father’s death, Kokander went home. The father was already leaving, but the daughter thought she would come back in the morning. Shortly after getting home, Kokander received a call from the hospital that there might not be time until morning.
Kokander drove back to the hospital. When he arrived in the room, the father was as if reaching for the door in his bed.
– I had time to tell my father that thank you for waiting for me. Now I am here, dear father. And then he died. He had been waiting for me to come, Kokander tells Anna.
Kokander describes the moment of his father’s death as ordinary. Kokander removed the oxygen mustache from his father’s face and called the nurse over. When the father was found dead, Kokander burst into tears.
– I was like a child who falls, but only starts crying when the parents come over, Kokander says in the magazine.
If embedding doesn’t work, you can also see a photo of Kokander and Hakala together from this link.
Helsingin Sanomat reported on the death of Tarmo Hakala in March. In his obituary, friend JO Mallander described Hakala as a fighter, a “tough guerrilla”, a genuinely creative and sensitive artist.
Hakala, who grew up at a free art school, was especially inspired by nature in her works. He used many different techniques in his work, such as water color, oil color and collage, Hakala wrote Kutaiteilija matrikkeli website in his presentation.