Who is this man who shared his life with me for 44 years and 3months? I will tell you in so many words, yet words seem inadequate, they are not enough!

I begin my tribute to my beloved husband with the above words from one of my favourite novels, as the words reflect our devotion and closeness as a couple throughout all our years together. The first five years farming in West Wales, all day and everyday in each other’s company, and all the in between years spent raising our family and working, retirement and then Covid Lockdown days..

During the last five years, we were inseparable, our lives were shared quietly and in renewed closeness. I will be ever grateful for those years, treasuring our long walks with our little dog Maisie and our quiet reflective times of reading together.

Christopher loved unconditionally, was quick to say sorry and even quicker to forgive. He was a ‘glass-half full’ kind of person, full of laughter and fun. He loved telling stories, always with plenty of humour, often laughing himself into a coughing fit!

Proud father of our four children, now grown into fine adults. Our seven grandchildren were an even greater delight to him and gave him any excuse to watch Disney and Pixar animated films with them, with Paddington Bear being his favourite…

His many traits include being kind, loving, always ready to give or receive a hug… many of us will remember his all time words “ where’s my smile?” as he smiled back at you…

We shared a life of faith together, responding to the call of God on our lives during our time in West Wales, which culminated in our move to Swansea to serve Jesus in church community together.

Christopher will mean a lot of things to a lot of people, yet to me he was my devoted ‘other half’, best friend and companion, the one whom I could trust my life to until the day we were parted and he was ‘promoted to Glory’.. I will meet him again one day when I too go to that heavenly place.