My dad – Mike Barry (1.9.41 – 22.2.13) aged 71 years When I used to think of my dad I think of watches, cameras, big houses, nice cars and embarrassing questions directed at my friends along the lines of ‘what does your dad do for a living?’ and ‘how much do you think this watch is worth?’ In the latter years of his life I saw a frightened old man with Alzheimer’s not knowing why he was living in a nursing home or who the people were around him. He was once led a full and seemingly happy life. He took us on fantastic holidays to Barbados, Sardinia, Ireland, Greece, the list goes on. If only he hadn’t got the hump half way through and decided to stay in his room or gone home early on most trips! He taught his grandsons, Frazer and George how to build bonfires and took them out with Oscar and Charlie (the dogs) up to Kenley Aerodrome. He taught me how to solder camera lights, for which I am eternally grateful but never had to use in every day life! My dad had a hard life, right from the very beginning; he was born to Ann and Len Barry in Brixton where he grew up in a troubled environment, being taken into care at the mercy of a Catholic Boys Home in the 1940s. After years of abject neglect he met my mum, Maureen – the beautiful one in the family - and found his niche in life, ending up learning the trade of plumbing which he excelled at. After setting up his first 24 hour plumbing company in south London he started to look at innovative ideas that led him to realize gaps in the market and expand his business into more lucrative areas. He introduced CCTV cameras surveys to the UK, designing and developing his own brand of cameras, surveying techniques and renovation ideas that led to him building a mini-Empire in the UK, and beyond. He traveled the world with his ideas and made friends and business contacts across the globe. As a result of his success we live in lovely houses paid for by his legacy, and his grandchildren are being rewarded with the best education available, again, paid for by his sheer hard work. It’s just such a shame that he cannot be here to congratulate Frazer who is studying Economics at university, George taking his GCSEs at a very expensive boarding school and Paddy, Will and little Florrie who are destined for great things at Caterham School, all courtesy of granddad. He didn’t get a chance to meet Tom, Harry, Max and Marina who will all benefit from my dad’s endeavours in some way or another. The very end of this sad story is that he developed Alzheimer’s at the tender age of 59 and suffered right through until 22 February at 2pm when he died of associated coronary disease and pneumonia. The last years were the worst. We often wondered about moments of lucidity when we visited him in various care homes. I just hope he didn’t know how his eventful, fantastic life, full of exploration and happiness had dissolved into him becoming a young old man dying of a cruel and crippling disease. He is missed. We love you, dad. RIP x