He married mum on 4 June 1949 and Jim was born a respectable nine months later. I followed on three years later and we were a typically happy family. Dad was a grafter, whether it was in his work, in the family home, on the golf course or in the garden. He was an example to us all and mum misses above all his loving kindness and reliable support.

His hard work and determination won him the Imperial Service Order, presented to him in front of his very proud family at Buckingham Palace after almost 40 years of dedication as a civil servant.

You could always depend on him, not just to give you the answer you wanted to hear, but the right answer. He loved slapstick comedy and whistled a lot. He went out of his way to do the right thing by others. He and mum made many sacrifices to give us a good home and their decency, love and devotion have shaped my own attitude towards my family, friends and work colleagues.

I learned from dad that you have to put others first quite a lot of the time and rewards can flow from selflessness. He was truly a very special person whom we all miss every day. Mum and I speak to him often and constantly reflect on what he would have advised, when there are difficult decisions to be made.

It's true that in losing someone very special you appreciate their worth. I strive not always very successfully to be half the person he was, and am comforted to think that he is watching over us all so lovingly. Jan.

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