Vic Underwood

Dad,

I only knew you for a short while but even during that time you taught me the values of love and respect for my family and the simple, yet sadly less-practiced virtue of politeness and good manners towards your elders and especially towards women. The simple things like holding open doors or helping someone who is clearly in need of it…

Although hundreds of miles apart and not as close as we should have been it was distance and not lack of interest that was to blame.

I'm sorry I could not be there for you.

I know I should have maintained regular communications but I have never been much of a letter writer or comfortable on the telephone.

I tried several times to make amends but it was never going to be easy after so long apart.

I’m sorry we never got to know each other better. Reading between the lines, I sometimes got the impression that I was often looked down upon and perhaps I deserved it for not trying harder. I'm not going to make excuses for this other than I've made more than my fair share of mistakes in my lifetime that I regret.

I wanted to be a small extension of your family and ‘Mum’ did try to help me feel a part. But once I’d met her, Eva-Marie seemed to lose interest in me – even though the internet gave us another chance to communicate.

My sincere thoughts are with Mum (Marisa) and the rest of the family at this difficult time.

Dad, you will be missed but at least your suffering is over and now you can be at peace.

Your son,

Martin