David Perrott - Warwick, England, 1916 - 2008

David died peacefully this morning in Warwick hospital. He was 92 and full of years. Our final memory is of a man peacefully sleeping and slipping away. We need our beliefs in an afterlife at these times. Life seems such a short time in relation to eternity. All actions that are done with love have eternal value. David certainly loved. The minister from St Paul's in Warwick said that he always remembered him with a smile on his face. After his heart operation two years ago he was grateful for every day on this earth. They were all a bonus. We all have stories of him, his kindness and generosity, his willingness to hold possessions lightly, his interest in and recognition of everyone he met, his mischievous humour, his stubbornness that kept him alive. Even in hospital it was not possible to feed him or find a vein to replace the drip that had to be removed. Perhaps the medical books need to be revised. They say that a human being can survive for only three days without water. David survived 11 days without food and 7 days without water. When we returned to his flat my sister Liz offered me his pot of vitamins. I hunted through his cupboards and found calcium with vitamin D, garlic capsules, fish oils, Senior ABC vitamins, selenium, glucosamine, joint complex. No wonder he passed away so with grace and dignity. His body will decay very slowly in the mortuary.  Thanks Dad for being such a great example. You knew how to love life and when to let go. You gave everyone who wanted to say goodbye a chance to see you. We all loved you. One of my daughters said tonight that you were the greatest grandad she could have; you were the greatest dad too.

John Perrott