Papa

Beloved husband, father, granddad, friend,

A rock on whom you could depend,

Willing to go that extra mile,

Make you laugh and flash a smile.

When we were young he seemed so tall,

A towering figure to us so small,

And even as we continued to grow,

His hair stayed ever as white as snow.

Fighter, flier, explorer of the sky,

Enjoying admiring each country passed by,

From the air force to Qantas, he mastered each jet,

Facing boldly and skilfully each challenge he met.

But high in the sky, wherever he’d roam,

His mind never wandered too far from home,

Whenever the flight, whatever the plan,

He was above all a family man.

Good with his hands, and skilled using wood,

He built for us whatever he could,

Although perhaps his favourite tool,

Was the one he used to clean the pool.

Him changing the filter or using the net,

Is an image that we will never forget,

Like the one of him in his chair,

Watching The Bill or with a joke to share.

For Nature too, he nursed a soft spot,

From the birds in the trees to a plant in a pot,

The stamps he collected, brought us and shared,

To the spiders he handled because no one else dared.

We will miss his great wit, his laugh and his snore,

The loss of his spirit will be missed all the more,

But the love for his family will remain ever strong,

A family in which we are proud to belong.

We are honoured to have been a part of his life,

Through the happy years and moments of strife,

So not just a moment but a lifetime we’ll spend

Remembering Papa, a husband, father, granddad…our friend.

Love Emily, Josie and Georgina

The funeral service was held Wednesday 16th July 2008
at Castlebrook Memorial Park

Officiated by Celebrant Michelle Latham

R.S.L Service conducted by members of the
Vietnam Veterans Association - St. Marys