My father, Christopher John Tribble, passed away peacefully early this month.
He had an operation to remove a cancer tumor about a year ago, and things seemed to be going well until he reacted badly to chemotherapy towards the end of last year, which resulted in a downward spiral.
Watching him slip away was very hard, especially the awful feeling of impotence in the face of the terrible inevitability of it all.
It's not been the best start to 2008, but my father was a pragmatic chap who didn't want anyone to make a fuss, so it's now time to get back to normal.
I've lost, amongst other things, a friend.