So it’s 8 months since Dad passed away. We’ve had Father’s day, Christmas, his 80th, 5 family birthday’s all without him. Mum and I have been to the grave a couple of times to check on his Rimu tree – it was struggling a bit – we put up a wind break :-).

I decided I’d like to put my Eulogy to Dad on the interweb – so here it is.

Dad was the major contributor to an exciting and fun filled childhood.  He built go-carts, took us canoeing, fishing and shooting, had us drag netting in Petone, made paint wheels, built stages for many neighbourhood performances and of course there were the large variety of pets.  The most prominent to me being the vast number of Guinea pigs, at one stage we were up to 43. They had a 4-story apartment and were running free around our neighbourhood.  Dad set up cat traps to protect them – we would hear a bang and our cat would suddenly be flung into the air hanging by one leg – which always looked hilarious – Dad wasn’t a fan of cats.

Once in the early hours of the morning I was awoken to the sound of a dog attacking the guinea pigs – I raced down to Mum and Dad’s bedroom and Dad was up in a flash grabbing Uncle Willy’s sword ready to take on the trespassing German Shepard. 

Growing up I thought Dad was invincible but as an adult I came to realise some things he did were a bit foolhardy.  One summer having finished the renovations on the family launch he was determined we were starting our summer holiday that week.  We were at the filling station and the guy at the pump said “Where are you heading today mate?”  Dad replied “The Marlborough Sounds”, the guy said “Are you mad?  The Ferries have been cancelled today you shouldn’t be trying to cross the strait”.  Dad was like – nah it will be fine and off we went on our summer holidays.   The waves were huge – and the anchor went off the side of the boat.  Dad asked me to start steering the boat.  He said just keeping pointing it straight so the launch climbs up the waves – I was 15 and Hamish standing beside me was 12.  Mum was curled up in the foetal position at the back of the boat.  Dad put on his waterproof – no life jacket, nothing tying him on and went to the front of the boat and hauled the anchor up.  We obviously made it across the Strait but it’s a vivid memory for me and also the reason I was always a bit nervous when he wanted to take my kids on one of his adventures.

Dad was the life and soul of any party and had a lot of opinions which would usually change depending on who he was having a discussion with.  As he always used to say – I love a good argument it makes life interesting.  He did give me lots of advice but there are 3 things that I listened to:

• I was a teenage boy once and they are only after one thing.  Once they get it they’ll be gone
• Don’t get married before you are thirty and
• If you want your child to act like an adult you need to treat them like one.

Dad I always knew how you felt about me by the way your face lit up when I walked in the room.  You may not have known the same from me as I did find you exasperating at times so I’d like to say to Dad on behalf of all of us:

If we have forgotten to show our gratitude for all the things you did, we’re thanking you now and we are hoping you knew all along how much you meant to us

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