I first met Carolyn through my work in January 1979, when we became colleagues and then good friends having the occasional lunch together. We didn't date until May 1979 but then married on 1st October 1979, having proposed just 7 days before. We married at Camden registry office in London with just 2 of our best friends, Roger and Marie in attendance. Then honeymooned for a month in Australia, starting in Tasmania, Carolyn's birthplace when I then met all her family and school friends for the first time.

Our daughter Carly was born in April 1981 when we were living in Primrose Hill London and then Julia came along in September 1983, after we had moved to Weybridge in Surrey. Carolyn loved being a full time mother, but had a desire to become a Homeopath so in 1986 studied at the Royal Homeopathic College in Regents Park qualifying in 1989 and later going back to become a RS Hom (their equivalent of a PHD). She later set up her own practice, my business was going great, the girls were happy and healthy and she got the first of her beloved dogs... our life together seemed perfect.

Sadly this was to change in 2004, just weeks after our 25th wedding anniversary, when she found out she had head and neck cancer. It was a very rare type and the options looked bleak; one surgeon told her she might only have 2 years to live...oh how wrong they were and oh how they under estimated her resilience! The next 15 years had some highs and lots of lows, Carolyn had 12 operations, 3 treatments of Radiotherapy (no Chemo as she never believed in it...its a Homeopathic thing). During these years we travelled around the world (sometimes seeking a cure) we saw Julia marry an amazing guy called Luke and give us 2 wonderful grandchildren, Phoebe and Rory. We also visited Carly in Thailand where she was working (initially for 1 year as a an unpaid volunteer) then 2 more years for a children's charity following that horrific Tsunami,which made us more proud than she will ever know. During our visit there we met some of the orphaned children she had helped and saw the projects she had set up, including a school. 

I think about Carolyn every day and will love her for the rest of my life. I feel privileged to have known her and shared my life with her. 

Gary

1st May 2020