Thank you all for being here today. I speak on behalf of my mother, Jean and sister, Joanne, to say that it's truly humbling to see so many family members, friends and colleagues gathered in this church to celebrate Dad's life and to pay their last respects to him. My Dad was and always will be the most capable man I have ever met. No engineering project was insurmountable, no DIY task beyond his aptitude, no hobby or pastime that couldn't be mastered and no single malt that went un-tasted. He was also the most generous man I ever met and he would never turn down a friend or family member in need no matter how big or small the problem that needed resolving. Family, comradeship and helping others were core values that he taught me from an early age and it’s through the narrative of Dad’s life that these values were instilled in him and will be passed down to future generations. Dad was born the day before D-Day in 1944 in Runcorn, Cheshire to Alf and Hilda and was the youngest of three brothers, behind in age to Stuart and John. In 1949 the family relocated to Newquay when Alf got a job with the Air Ministry at St. Eval and it’s during these years that roots in the county were first established and lifelong friendships were cemented. In 1950 Alf was posted to Singapore and, with his precious comic collection entrusted to his good friend Gary, Dad and the rest of the family soon followed, travelling by sea for a month on the P&O mail ship SS Carthage. With three very active and lively boys confined to a ship, many opportunities for mischief such as raiding the stewards’ supply cupboard presented themselves - the first of many apocryphal seafarers tales. After three years in Singapore, Alf’s passing meant a return to the UK and after a brief period of separation the family reunited in Newquay. This is where Dad spent some of the best years of his teenage and early adult life - bunking off technical college to go swimming and surfing on Newquay’s beaches with his friends Chris and Gary and once taking a memorable road trip to Falmouth, punctuated by multiple pit stops in order to carry out running repairs to his much loved Wolesley Wasp which had the unique feature of a wooden floor through which you could see the road. These years in Cornwall and then in Bristol saw the beginning of Dad’s career in electrical engineering, firstly with the South Western Electricity Board and then following his brother John into Esso’s merchant fleet. Life at sea as electrical officer aboard such ships as the Esso Exeter and Esso Anglia presented Dad with an opportunity to travel the world and to broaden his horizons but it was also hard work that required discipline, teamwork and the ability to work under extreme pressure. Traits that remained with Dad throughout the rest of his life. In 1967, on shore leave and back in Cornwall Dad met my mother Jean who would remain the love of his live for the next 47 years, always there on land and sea to support and, just occasionally, tolerate him. Following their marriage in 1969 and shortly after my birth in 1972 Dad was offered the opportunity to further his career onshore. He took up a position at Fawley Refinery which meant a move away from Cornwall to Hampshire, initially to Everton near Lymington and then, following the birth of my sister Joanne in 1976 and another career move, this time to Esso UK head office in Victoria Street, to Fleet. It was in Fleet that Joanne and I grew up with many happy family memories. Friends from those years in Fleet are here with us today to remember Dad - a testament to long and established friendships. Holidays were important family events and we were fortunate enough to travel to Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and the US among other places but it was also important that connections to Cornwall, to roots and to family, were maintained which were done so through the many beloved family holidays we spent in Newquay being taught by Dad how to swim, dive and explore the beautiful Cornish coastline. During these years in Fleet Dad took up fly-fishing, a pastime that meant a great deal to him and one that he continually sought to improve himself at. His introduction to fly-fishing came from his brothers, Stuart and John, who encouraged him to take up the sport following heart by-pass surgery in 1993. I’m sure they would testify, perhaps somewhat begrudgingly, that Dad became the best out of the three of them. The years leading up to and following retirement in 2004 saw Mum and Dad move to the bucolic surroundings of Ropley in Hampshire. Retirement ignited a passion for travel with trips undertaken, often with family and friends, to Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Italy, Australia, the USA and across South East Asia. The latter trip provided Dad with a particularly poignant and lasting memory. After meticulous research, Dad was able to track down his father’s grave in Singapore allowing him to visit and pay his respects to Alf. Much closer to home Dad found much peace and contentment in frequent visits to the Scilly Isles, a place where he chose to celebrate his 70th birthday. Latterly, his grandchildren Arabella, Aeronwyn and Nathan brought Dad much joy. A visit from Gangy always provoked much excitement, an affectionate name he adopted from the mispronunciation of Granddad given by Stuart, John and himself to their own grandfather. The arrival of Grandchildren also brought about another move, away from Hampshire after more than 30 years, to Wyton in Cambridgeshire allowing Mum and Dad to be nearer to their family. It’s through his grandchildren that Dad will live on, both through those dominant Hayes genes and also the life lessons that will be taught to them - hard work, helping others and a downright bloody belligerence towards getting the job done no matter how blue the air is turned. Thank you Dad Thanks for being a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend We’ll miss you so much