My grandpa, G/Pa, Fred, Woolfy, Allan sadly passed on Matariki aged 93. Grandpa got through his open heart surgery like a champion. But unfortunately when in respite care an infection set in and it took him swiftly. Now those who are reading will already know the amazing life my grandfather had. Grandpa was married to Colleen nearly 72 years and they went forth and multiplied. They had Sue, Deb, Jane (mum) and my late uncle John. From the three girls came 12 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and one great great grand child. I mention this as he was a family man. Importantly he had another family, a huge community of support and love with his motor racing.

I am sad to see my grandpa go and I have prepared myself for this day. That may sound strange but we really don’t know how long we have with our loved ones. Even knowing my grandpa is not immortal I found his passing hard. The selfish side of me wanted him to live forever. I will miss him immensely but my Nana even more. I can’t fathom what it would be like to lose your partner in crime after 71 years. Like losing a limb? I can only speculate. I have many memories of G/Pa that I will cherish. He really was a true role model and we are all lucky to have him in our lives.

I came back to NZ on the Monday to help in any way I could. Rowan followed on the Friday. The preparations for the funeral were overwhelming at times. The whole family came together to make it happen. Some did a lot more than others like my sister Sarah & cousin Dean who had a spreadsheet to keep us all on track. We did videos to try help keep the ceremony as quick as possible, even then it was one and a half hours long. There are parts he would have approved of and parts he didn’t. But hey, funerals are for the ones left behind so you will need to forgive us Fred. My favourite part, was watching him leave at the end and all his friends and family waving. We had car engines revving, finish flags flying, horns honking and people cheering.

I am thankful for Rowan for being my rock through the entire ceremony. He stood by me throughout. When I gave my dad a big hug at the beginning my tears began. By the afternoon I felt like I had cried 10 litres of water and my tear ducts hurt. An incredible amount of people came to say goodbye and celebrate his life. Rowan thinks over a thousand. Everything was filmed and it was live for those who could not make it. If you want to watch I will put the link at the end. After the ceremony we went to my cousin Dean & Maria’s home. I am not sure how long we were there but it was good being able to chat and see everyone properly. My cousins son Kortez got a bit of a raw deal being his 9th Birthday. He was a champion, knowing today was not about him. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted.

On Sunday we went up to the shed for a drink for grandpa. It was nice to see everyone and say goodbye to those flying back home or going away. It feels strange being in the shed with no grandpa, it will take time. Rowan and I are back in Australia, we came in early yesterday (Tuesday). We will be here till the end of August as we have a few adventures booked. So watch this space!

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