In September 2010, my dear old Pa passed away and although this post has been sitting in draft for some time it now seems a little less sad to share the story of my wonderful Pa. 
Herbert James Begbie, also known as Pa to his five grandchildren, or old Pa to his six great grandchildren, was a wonderful man with an amazing sense of humor. Pa always knew things and liked to share his knowledge. He loved animals. He knew how to fix a car, which cameras to buy (see picture above - me showing Pa how the digital camera works), how a TV worked, what made a clock tick, which were the best batteries for what machines and what paint included what chemicals and did the best job. He was largely self taught and good at fixing things. He loved to pull things apart to learn how they worked before reassembling them. Unfortunately though as Pa aged, the lightbulb that used to come on when something was in pieces to tell him how to put it back together again had gone out and as such, many a thing has been broken – never to work again. I am sure Pa would be proud of Ashley who, when I ask him why he pulls his toys apart replied “so I can fix them”.
Pa was the invincible. He would tell us many times over the years how he was a sick infant, was told he would not live to be 21, or 40, or 80 or beyond – but Pa was alwsys the one waving goodbuy to
those who said he would not make it. He even made jokes to the doctors when he received a pig valve in his heart at the ripe old age of 86 that it was making him oink. He would call up 3AW and tell jokes, I only wish I wrote some of them down as they were funny and always made me laugh. I sometimes wonder - without the use of Google- what his source of such delighfully funny jokes were.
On many occasions it seemed like Pa was about to validate his ticket to the pearly gates, but his train was always cancelled. However, at the pretty impressive age of 96 Pa caught an express.
In recent times Pa has focused on meeting targets. Grandchildren’s weddings, wedding anniversaries (such as his 65th with nan above), letters from the queen and over the past few years, his great grandchildren. Catherine, James, Tom, Mia, Ashley and Lachlan. He adored them all and certainly my memories of Pa will be told many times over as I remember what a wonderful man he was.
Love you Pa.
Pa was the invincible. He would tell us many times over the years how he was a sick infant, was told he would not live to be 21, or 40, or 80 or beyond – but Pa was alwsys the one waving goodbuy to
those who said he would not make it. He even made jokes to the doctors when he received a pig valve in his heart at the ripe old age of 86 that it was making him oink. He would call up 3AW and tell jokes, I only wish I wrote some of them down as they were funny and always made me laugh. I sometimes wonder - without the use of Google- what his source of such delighfully funny jokes were.On many occasions it seemed like Pa was about to validate his ticket to the pearly gates, but his train was always cancelled. However, at the pretty impressive age of 96 Pa caught an express.
In recent times Pa has focused on meeting targets. Grandchildren’s weddings, wedding anniversaries (such as his 65th with nan above), letters from the queen and over the past few years, his great grandchildren. Catherine, James, Tom, Mia, Ashley and Lachlan. He adored them all and certainly my memories of Pa will be told many times over as I remember what a wonderful man he was.
Love you Pa.
