Anyone who knew our dad knew he was a sportsman through and through, and in the best and truest sense.

He loved to compete and to win of course, but NEVER at the expense of fair play and respect for others. He would always root for the underdog. He would always look for some way to win by excelling, by his own skill and determination.

Dad was the most honest, straightforward and decent man. He valued honesty and we cannot recall of a time when he told a lie – it is possible that he was not capable of it! We recall a time when playing a party game of clever deceit and trickery where you work together to establish which members of the group are the “Mafia” working against the others. When asked straight out if he was ‘Mafia’ dad would give it away by simply refusing to answer, unwilling to say he wasn’t when he was!

He held traditional values and deplored the use of ‘bad’ language. Growing up you knew when he had a very poor opinion of someone’s behaviour when he would resort to the use of ‘fathead’ as his chosen, withering insult.

If this makes him sound dry and boring then you really didn’t know our dad. He had a sharp mind and a keen sense of humour, and if something tickled his fancy he would chuckle with such a genuine pleasure it was a joy to behold.

As a great appreciator of his wit and perception Dad would agree that:

“Golf… is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that only God is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will serve you faithfully and well.” – P.G. Wodehouse

This is how we will remember our dad.