One amazing man

My uncle was 75, and fitter than many 35 year olds I know. He was an incredible man with a great sense of humour. It's hard to describe the role he played in the family, because he was often in the background, but he was a real pillar of the family. Dependable, loyal, wise.

My father and my aunt had a really tough childhood (understatement of the year), and my uncle (who was 10 years older than my dad, and 12 older than my aunt) was their surrogate father. He took care of them, provided for them, loved them.

To us kids from the next generation, he was always good for a laugh. He had the most incredible stories to tell, and would tell them with such aplomb. When it was hard to get my father to talk about his parents or his childhood, my uncle would always oblige, telling incredible stories about the things they would get up to. He was also a joker. He would love to wind people up - especially my aunt. I suppose that after 50 odd years of marriage you really know which buttons to push, and he loved pushing them. He would wink at you, smile, and then say something or other. When my aunt would react, he'd grin, chuckle and just keep going till everyone around was in fits of laughter.

My uncle was also a man of deep faith. Even at 75 he was still very involved in his church community, and loved the Lord deeply and quietly.

He was, as I've said, very fit. Every week he walked on the mountain with a group of his friends, which included his minister, so he was no stranger to it, or to its dangers. He and my aunt also have a house out at Langebaan where he would walk and sail. Since their retirement, they would spend probably half their time there, and half back here in the city, so he was always very active.

My biggest regret is that I didn't see more of him since we returned. Just a few weeks back Graeme and I were saying how we really ought to invite him and my aunt over for a meal, because we hadn't seen them for such a long time... Nothing like death to put one's priorities back in order!

I shall remember him for his stories, and his wisdom. He had such life experience, and such wisdom from that experience, that he could always tell you the best thing to do in any given situation. I will miss him terribly.

He leaves behind him his wife, two children (both living in the UK), and 3 grandchildren (also all living in the UK).