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Last week, we experienced the sudden loss of an extraordinary and beautiful person. Velda, my Dad’s partner and a constant presence in our lives for over twenty-two years, passed away after a brief illness.

Velda and my Dad, Barra, lost their spouses in the late 90s, at ages that were far too young to be going through something so devastating. We were all so happy when Dad met Velda and love was in the air again.

Velda was loyal, compassionate, fun-loving, unflappable and full of joy and laughter. She loved hiking, gardening, travelling and more. She baked some seriously delicious muffins for us, whenever we called. She was someone with a love for life and a tremendous intellectual curiosity. She used her retirement to explore, crossing tundra on the Orient Express or hiking the Peruvian jungle and fishing for piranha. She was always interested in people, and loved to hear and debate everyone’s thoughts on current events. She brought a fierce intelligence and warmth to any discussion, and saw the best in people.

Many a bottle of fizz was shared with her during family celebrations over the years.  There was always an atmosphere of fun when she was around, her laugh was so infectious. You were guaranteed to be in good humour after meeting with Velda. It was an honour to have her in our lives for so long. She will be greatly missed by all of us.

And, now that I have told you about Velda, you will remember her too. As Terry Pratchett wrote in his book, “Going Postal”,

Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?

Terry Pratchett, Going Postal.

Thanks to my family for help writing this. I couldn’t have done it without you.