The Journey: Goodbye Grandad

On Friday (12 February 2021) we sadly lost my beloved grandad, Ron.

Not only is he the epicenter of Bess’ story, he was a true patriarch for our family as children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, neighbors, and life long friends will attest. He was kind and generous to a fault and would readily do without if it meant a loved one being just a little happier. As a husband and a father, he lived to values that seem almost mythical in todays world. Nothing demonstrated this more than 71 years of marriage to the love of his life, Marjorie.

The last couple of years have been really tough. My nan’s dementia meant that for the first time, they had to live apart. The pandemic worsened this situation to the extent that daily visits to see his wife all but vanished. Lockdown also took away much of his autonomy and independence but that gentle, kind and generous spirit remained to the end.

As one of five very lucky grandchildren, I’m now left with years and years of happy memories. In my childhood, while my mum, nan and sister would go shopping, I would spend my weekends with him. In the early days, that would be at the business he ran with my uncle. I’d see some legendary cars on the ramps at the garage undergoing meticulous restoration. I’d pour over books, photographs and manuals with him. My friends call me an encyclopedia of car knowledge but the truth was, I couldn’t hold a candle to him. Once he had decided to step back from the business, we would spend winter weekends watching car films and tv programs like Cannonball Run, Knight Rider and Smokey and the Bandit. In the summer, we would often jump into Bess and go for a ride. It is no secret that my absolute passion for all things automotive stems from him.

Being on a slippery slope towards 40, I’m well aware of how lucky I’ve been to have this wonderful human in my life for so many years. There is no denying that over 93 years on this planet is a good stint. Even so, it felt like there was so much more we could have done and many more people that would have been all the happier for meeting him and hearing his stories. I’m devastated he’s gone.

Regrettably, I’ll never get the first post-resto drive with him in Bess that I dreamt of. But I know how happy he was to see her back in the family once again - and that is enough. I also know that slowing down the restoration efforts to buy our first home was something he totally approved of. In the coming days I will post the video of that magic day when we revealed we’d got her back. It's still one of the happiest days for us.