A week ago last Friday morning, Alastair received a call from his brother. Although we had anticipated this day for quite some time, it was a shock to hear that his Dad, John, had died. John had been living in a nursing home in Maidenhead for almost exactly ten years. After Joyce died we knew that he couldn’t live independently, as he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia for a few years then. Over the years his mobility had decreased, and his awareness as well.

In the past few weeks his condition had worsened and we had been in close contact with the charge sister. When Al asked on Tuesday if he should go her answer was “not yet”.

If anyone deserves to rest in peace it is my father-in-law. He was a delightful man, a great role model to Al, a caring Dad, Granddad and father-in-law, and a devoted and loving husband to Joyce.

Anticipatory grief is hard, we have been missing the man we knew for years as this disease took over.

Al and I will be travelling to England in a few days time, to stand with our family and friends to farewell this true gentleman. We will all miss him very much. Here he is, from a few years ago now (what’s twenty or more between friends), on holidays in Greece.