We try to think of words to describe our dad and they all fail to capture the warmth that under laid his strength and reliability. Coming from a generation of men who did not easily share their feelings with their family never mind each other, he managed to convey his love by being the 'rock' on which we all relied and believed would always be there.

In the last few years we saw that his true strength was not the obviously physical one he possessed, thanks to his athletic abilities, but rather the stoicism he displayed in the face of a terrible condition that was set to rob him of all his abilities over time. This insidious thief who steals and destroys, exploiting every opportunity to advance its inexorable plan. Our dad set his face against this foe and what dignity there was therein. His determined efforts to remain at the heart of his family and friends affected all who knew him then. His handsome face, firm jaw and patrician nose, faced the future with a strength more powerful than the merely physical. His grip was strong and his humour, dry to the point of absurd, these never deserted him in the last few months in hospital, surfacing from sleep occasionally to acknowledge loved ones with a hand held and an eye opened to see you. Finally, and with the strength he possessed, he took his leave of us all. What a loss we all feel and how cast adrift now that our 'rock' has gone. Yet we still go on as we find that we carry our dad in our hearts and minds. He instilled in us some of his strength and we all feel better for it.

Our number one.

"Hunky Dory, Hunky Dory" xxx