I first met Beryl in 1954 when we were teenagers, and we were married not long after I completed my national Service in 1957. We have been happily married for almost sixty years until, after twenty six years of fighting various cancers, Beryl sadly lost her fight, on June 7th, 2016.

Beryl’s first encounter with this awful disease was breast cancer in 1990. That was also the year we started what was to become a big part of our lives, line dancing, or what became known to us as Partner Dancing.

Over the following twenty six years Beryl faced many hurdles, and cancer stalked her for the rest of her life. Her breast cancer finally resulted in a double mastectomy but not before the cancer had escaped into her bones. She then had to face the awful cancer of the esophagus and she was so ill with that, we thought we would lose her. That cancer was attacked with Brachytherapy and it appeared to have been beaten, but not quite as it turned out, as it was a contributing factor at the very end.

Beryl knew that the bone cancer was terminal but she fought it all the way, everyday and in every way. She refused to let it win. When asked, as she so often was, “How are you feeling Beryl?”, her stock answer was always “I’m getting there.”

She never complained and she refused to give up her dancing, which she loved. She also helped and encouraged many friends as they also came to face the dreaded cancer. Beryl was a very courageous and wonderful lady, and I was so lucky to have her as my wife, and I treasure the years that we shared.

I would like to sincerely thank every single person that has donated to these charities, and hopefully those of you that will do so in the future, in Beryl’s name. Thank you also for the many lovely comments made by those of you that knew Beryl. She was a lovely, unique, beautiful person, both inside and out.

Thank you all very much.