Farewell Uncle Willy

My Uncle Willy passed away two days ago.  When there's a death and you live a thousand miles away, it's hard to believe that the person is really gone.  He was my Dad's Uncle, and was always loving and friendly.  Whenever I saw him he would want to know what I was doing and where I'd been.  Because he was always asking me about me, I don't really know much about him.  This might also be because I haven't seen much of him in the last decade.  I do remember him telling me shortly after his wife passed away from breast cancer that he missed receiving the type of physical touch that you take for granted when you share a life with someone for many years.  A gentle touch as you walk passed each other.  It's one of those things you remember someone telling you because it seems important, an observation to help you know what love is when you don't think you've experienced it yourself.  More recently, he had a lovely girlfriend who was always with him.  They were very sweet.  The two of them are sitting together in the Short family photo at our wedding.  I think that's the last time I saw them.  She will find his loss very hard.  He has also left my Great Aunty Mary - my sole living blood relation of that generation, and several children and grandchildren.  I suppose the new generation is being born and starting to grow up.