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Pa

My grandfather, or as I knew him, Pa, died today.

I'm lucky because I have so many happy memories of spending time with him growing up. Every Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Christmas our family would get together and go to Nan and Pa's house.

But the times when Pa was really in his element was when we spending time together outdoors. Every Christmas for a long time we'd go down to Bonnyvale in the Royal National Park. Nan and Pa would bring the huge esky down in the white Commodore, always in pristine condition and looking brand new. He'd load the kayaks on the roof and we'd have a picnic and go for a swim or paddle out in the bay.

During school holidays my cousins, sisters and I would stay over at Nan and Pa's house and go out for bush walks with him. I still remember Louise and I going for a walk with him in the Park when we spotted an Echidna crossing our path. We chased after it to get a closer look but by the time we reached it it had already started burrowing into the debris on the other side of the path. Imagine our surprise, as Pa, not to be deterred, started digging after it …

For someone who always came across as so conservative and proper it was always surprising but hilarious when he recounted with a cheeky smile stories of how he used to be “cockatoo” for his uncle who was a SP bookie in what would have been the 1930s. I'm not sure of the specifics but it was clear that that wasn't exactly 100% above board

And for someone who was always so active it was really heartbreaking to watch as the wear and tear of so many decades of hard work as a builder took it's toll, and even with a number of hip and knee replacements he slowly stopped being able to enjoy these things with us, and we all worried what Pa was going to do as he couldn't enjoy these things any more.

Over the last few years Pa persevered through all his physical ailments with so few complaints and a level of mental and physical toughness and fortitude I can only admire and be in awe at.

After his most recent operation in hospital he had an infection which spread throughout his body, along with, as we later found out, two kinds of cancer including one from working with asbestos for so many years. Still, gravely ill, he went through physiotherapy and did weights to bring himself back for a while, to spend more time with us.

Last Monday he was so gravely ill he was given the Last Rites by a priest in John Paul Village where he lived with Nan. He battled on for another eight days after that giving everyone a chance to see him and spend time with him, and I think, to say goodbye, and high five his great grandson Nate before he finally passed away this morning.

I'll always remember Pa as someone with fortitude born of pure determination, someone who believed in doing the right thing and worked hard to live those values, and someone who surprised us all when he broke through his serious side to laugh while telling us a story or joke that surprised us all.

I love you Pa, and I'm proud to be your grandson.