The RNLI saves lives at sea.

Appreciation For Michael Heath By Dai Fares


Mike, it was a privilege and a pleasure to have known you and I will always be proud to say that we were friends.

When you knew the worst about your condition, you said to that you didn’t want any pain, any loss of dignity nor be forgotten. The kindness and professionalism of the St Michael’s Hospice, Basingstoke, the MacMillan and Community nurses in Andover managed to keep your pain and discomfort to a level you could handle. You did handle this with great courage with more than a degree of help and comfort from your wonderful family and your excellent neighbours. In addition, you maintained your sense of humour and acted with great dignity throughout.

This leaves only the issue of whether or not you be remembered. The answer to that is most definitely yes. There will be a piece of music, a film, someone mentioning a place like Vasiliki, the image of a catamaran under full sail, some topic of conversation and dozens of other unrelated, unconnected items that will remind me of you. I’ll bet all your many, many other friends will be able to say the same.

That you will be missed is a fact; that you will be remembered is a certainty. My life was the richer for knowing you Mike and the poorer for losing you.

Added on: 9 August 2010