So I am not sure that I will be able to speak at dads funeral and so I though I would write my tribute here. if I was to speak then this is what I would have said. Something like this..... I had a lovely childhood full of happy memories, of fun and laughter and brilliant holidays abroad and lovely Christmases. My mum and dad were ace. I adored my dad, I am a daddies girl.......sorry mum! I have so many funny memories of dad but two come to mind especially. One is the year that on New Years Eve my dad and some friends (you will know who you are!!) dressed up as the teenage mutant ninja turtles for a fancy dress completion at the working men's club. This involved them being painted completely green with some sort of green body paint. Skip to the next morning....New Years day and I am the first up and make my way downstairs. Our dog who slept in a big box with his duvet in the garage was making a fuss and scratching on the door to come in. I opened the door and was greeted by a very excited bright green cocker spaniel. My mum had kicked my dad out for being too drunk and he has put himself to bed in the dogs box with the dog in the garage!! I havenever seen a green dog again since! Another favourite funny memory is many many hours spent on the golf course with dad. I had, as did my sister in later years a very important job whilst dad was playing golf and this was to dredge the various ponds on the golf course looking for golf balls, for which I was paid 10p a ball. The contraption that he made and was very proud of for this purpose was a chip pan basket tied to some drain rods! it worked a treat! So where to begin with this tribute to my dad. He was spikey, self opinionated, moody, fiercely loyal to people he loved and liked, kind, generous, funny, courageous, strong and hardworking. He was a true gent. I have always felt privileged and honoured that this true gent was my dad. But he wasn't just my dad he was more than that....he was "my person" actually. Life doesn't often work out how we would like it to and so I have found myself over the last 15 years to be a single working mum. Due to my children's dad being largely absent and me not finding another long term partner who has wanted to be with me, I have been going it alone. People say things to me like "wow your kids are great.... you have done such a good job...on your own" But the truth is I have not been on my own as my dad has been there every step of the way. He has been more like a dad to my children that a grandad. I don't just feel like I have lost my dad but almost my partner too. He supported us, financially, emotionally and socially. Through good and bad times and all the trials and tribulations of raising two marvellous kids I have done it with my dad. He was my moral compass. Our life will never be the same again. He has been taken from us far too early and very suddenly. I am absolutely heart broken that he will not see Joshua graduate from university and become a famous sound engineer! I am sad that he will not see Leila fall in love and become Mary Poppins! (she is now a qualified early years educator!!) I am especially heart broken for my sister Charlotte that he will not be here to walk her down the aisle should she get married or be a remarkable grandad to her children. Our world has been shattered. Things will simply never be the same again. I have lost "my person" He was my dad, He was a legend. He was Dawsey.