I'm Nick, Dom's younger brother. I wanted to pay tribute to Dom by writing him a letter.

 

Dear Dom

 

You have been a great brother and friend to me over the last forty-five years.

Our relationship has had its ups and downs: like the time when you sold the handlebars off my bike to a friend; or the time when you sold the wing applets off MY jacket to another friend; or the time when we had a fight over the remote-control for the television – I can still feel the upper cut to my chin to this day.

You visited us many times in our home in Bath and you were always great with our kids, so much so that when Alicia came over to the UK in 2015 you picked her up from Bath and took her down to the South West to meet up with family.

And this year in April you and Soph came out to Colombia to visit us. We were so happy to see you. At the time you had been fighting cancer for about eighteen months and before your visit I honestly thought I would never see you again.

I was able to make a return trip to the UK in July this year. Towards the end of my stay, we cycled into Cambridge. You struggled to get up the hill on the way back, but at your best you could fly on the bicycle and put yards on me on any straight sprint. Cycling was one of your passions. Playing music was another.

You were a wonderfully humane, creative person who really appreciated the people he came into contact with. I believe I had a special relationship with you but I realise that actually you had a special relationship with everyone you met.

Nathan has been a rock. In many ways he is like you as I remember you when you were his age. Annie and Nathan are gutted that you will not get a chance to see your grandchild, who will be with us next spring, but at least you got a chance to see the scan.

 

Chloe has gone off to University in Brighton and has settled in. She had a BIRTHDAY PARTY on the Monday with her new housemates and is already into lectures, although notably absent on the Tuesday. Don´t worry, I will give my God-daughter some advice from an engineering angle if she needs it, although I´m pretty sure from her Tanzanian experiences she already knows more than I do.

Louis has taken some time off school and has used it productively to play poker in the games room. Don´t worry I think he still has his shirt on his back and in fact won thirty pounds on Wednesday. I have a sneaking suspicion that he is probably going to be entrepreneur of the year in a few years time so watch this space.

I have spoken to some of the family recently and they pass on the following sentiments:

Your brother Steve is still running a lot of marathons as Superman to raise money for the NSPCC. Steve is still getting good use out of the Superman onesie which you bought him.

 

Jo recalled the countless times you snuck into Mike´s room to “borrow” his guitar, or sometimes to “borrow” his clothes. In fact I think there was one occasion when Mike was out on the town with his friends and he spotted you walking confidently down the street wearing one of his suits.

 

Jon remembers when he was eight years old and you were born: the anticipation in the house; Grandad Peter sitting downstairs; Jon not really knowing what was happening; and then suddenly being ushered in to see the new baby.

 

Mike mentioned your love for all things that FLY. He remembers the trips to Wales with Jon, Chris Gill, Matt, Jon Eliott, Andy Buller, and you, learning to Hang-glide and generally having a fantastic time with friends in the Brecon Beacons.

 

Marcia told me about the time when Nathan, Chloe, Louis and herself were doing your Desert Island Discs. When asked what you would want as your luxury item on the desert island without missing a beat you said an INFLATABLE HOUSE – (nodding) practical.

 

Dom, you missed you vocation as a lead negotiator because whenever you got into trouble you had a very good poker face which allowed you to deny all knowledge of anything with just a shrug of the shoulders and a dismissive NO.

But, negotiating was not your chosen career. Stimulated by your grandfather and by your brothers Chris and Jon, in your early teens you developed a love of electronics and this was to be the path you would take. But you never forgot to have fun, and this expressed itself through your love of music, spurred on by your father, Jon and particularly Mike.

 

Well, little-big-brother it is time for me to sign off and say goodbye.

You are the craziest of crazy diamonds, and although your light has been extinguished it still burns on in our hearts and minds, and it will continue to shine on as we move forward with our lives.

You have shown us what it is to lead a good life, in your dedication to your family and friends, always choosing to do the RIGHT thing even when at times it was not always the EASY thing.

I want to finish with a poem, HIGH FLIGHT, written by John Magee a Canadian pilot and poet.

 

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things-

You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air...

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark or even eagle flew --

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

 

God bless, Dom, and Shine.