Goodbye George

Just under an hour ago my cousin George lost his fight for life. He slipped peacefully away, aged 73. His funeral cortege will be headed by the American army truck he bought just before he became ill, which has been lovingly restored by his friends. He was able to travel to see it just two weeks ago. He then felt he could let go, but his slow slide to his final hours did not take him as soon as he wanted. Yesterday I was by his bedside with his sister and her husband. His wife Alice has scarcely left his side for weeks. His son Darren has been helping to watch over him in his last days. His daughter Susan, who does not live at home, was regularly at his bedside.

George was a real character. Never a smoker or drinker, he nevertheless managed to maintain a lifetime addiction to - tea! At my father's funeral, he drank 3 pint mugs before going into the Church (whch was almost next door) and was soon desperate for the toilet. He was the only boy in his generation of the family, and everyone adored him. He managed to realise many of his ambitions, most of which involved steam engines of various kinds, military vehicles and land rovers. He was the only person I know who could be happy living along the street from a car scrap yard. He was lucky to have found a mate who could share his passions, and not object to a garden full of army vehicles and old land rovers in pieces. He carried on working right up to the time he became ill, so that he could afford to continue with his hobbies.

Now those lungs which hated smoke and dust have been stilled by the asbestos he worked with for just two days in his working life.

Thank you to those who have sent me kind messages during George's illness.

Here is a photo of him only a few months before he started to show symptoms of the cancer that killed him, at the wedding of the daughter of our cousin Joyce (also pictured) . He was the life and soul of the party, dancing from 6pm to midnight.

Hard to believe, looking at this, that just over 18 months later he would breathe his last.

We will miss you George. Give them hell in heaven!