My FIL

My father in law died yesterday.

He had prostate cancer and finally gave up the fight a few days ago. It is amazing how fast things go once you stop fighting.

I really liked him, he was a great guy, a real man of his generation. As a child during the Second World War, he collected unexploded bombs, causing a huge panic in his village when he and a few friends dragged one by its tail fin along the main street. After this the collection of bombs in his bedroom was found and taken away...

He was in the Airforce after the Second World War, serving in Germany for a time as batman (like a butler) to a high ranking officer. We have a photo of him looking very dashing in his boss's uniform . After leaving the Airforce, he became a teddyboy, and had a scar on his face from a knife fight he had outside a dance.

In later life he took to painting strange pictures, often comical, and often featuring sheep for some reason.

He enjoyed a drink, and right up to the last couple of months he regularly went out with a gang of friends to the village social club and would somehow get home again. I don't think he had any more knife fights, though. Thinking about it, his life was just one big party!

He will be missed, but leaves behind a lot of people who loved him and have great memories of time spent with him.