In Loving Memory of My Wonderful Daddy – Mr. David Owusu Dearest Dad you are so deeply missed. There has not been a single second, minute, hour and moment that I have not thought about you since you left us. The pain of losing you is indescribable. It feels like time has frozen since you left an empty hole in my heart. I have lost my protector, guardian, bodyguard, teacher, mentor and my superhero. You never wanted to leave us, You never planned to exit this way, during this time and in this moment. The pain of losing you will hurt me for my life-time. This pain I hope will lessen in time. Life without you will never be the same. There are days when I find myself crying uncontrollably trying to accept your passing. There are days when I attempt to allow myself to smile and think of so many precious and priceless memories. Ever since I could remember, you have always been there. My constant. Knowing that I cannot call you or visit breaks my aching heart, I will miss our banter and laughter. I will miss sharing my problems with you. I will miss you complaining. I will miss you nagging me to wash my car. I will miss you washing my car. I will miss our Monday chicken and chips evenings. I will miss you cooking for me. I will miss you making me a cup of tea. I will miss you telling Prince off when he jumps off the sofa. I will miss your swagger and dressing up even just to sit at home. I will miss you asking me when I will be retiring from athletics. I will miss you telling me stories of your days in Ghana and how you met mum. I will miss calling you ‘Osei Davis- International man!’ which always made you smile. Indeed you were an international man and admired by so many around the world. Your people miss you and are heart broken. Your twin sister is still in disbelief You paved the way for so many and helped many more. You advised, mentored, motivated and inspired. You were honest, direct and unapologetic. You always kept things real. You were a no nonsense man. You were my guiding light, You were the one I sought approval for any important decision I made. You were an enigma to many, A man of discipline, integrity and high principles. You were handsome, charming and intriguing. You were the best-dressed man of your era/ You had style, elegance and grace. You were always young at heart. A natural born athlete, who passed on your talent. You helped shaped me into the athlete I would become. You believed in me, you supported me, you encouraged me. Daddy I wish you were still here. Your loss is monumental for us all. I would love one more conversation with you I would love to see you smile again. I would love to hear your voice. I would love to take you out for dinner I would love one more dance with you. Daddy I so wish you were here now, to see us all making a fuss over you. To see baby Paradise have her first smile and to hold her. I know you are always with me. I see you everywhere. Your life was a blessing and I will always treasure our memories. I am thankful for God for choosing me to be your first born daughter. I will always love and miss you. I will always make you proud. You are forever in my heart How lucky was I to have you guide me for 41 amazing years? It has been an honour to be your child. I am forever grateful for every experience and moment we shared. I cannot fault you. You rarely let me down. You were always there and present. You were reliable and consistent. I wanted more memories, more magical moments, more celebrations and more laughter. If only I could turn back time I would have begged God to spare your life as I do not believe it was your time to leave me. You were taken from us so unexpectedly, so quickly, so prematurely. You were a strong, brave man who fought all the way until your last breath. You surpassed their expectations and kept on fighting and fighting and fighting until the very end. I still question why you had to leave us? Your last words to me were “Les I’m leaving, I’m going to fly!” and you pointed to the sky.Indeed you were destined to fly high always with the angels and shine even brighter. I believe you are now in the promise land and can finally chill and sleep so peacefully. No more pain, no more worries. You had more living to do on this earth. You always promised me 99 years – you said 100 would be greedy. I had so many plans for us and for you and mum. Now this can only be a ‘what if?’ I imagine you now watching down on all of us wondering what has happened in this corona virus apocalyptic world, which we are all living in. You were a success daddy, I am so very proud of you. You lived your amazing life well, you laughed often with your family and friends, you were highly respected, you were so loved. You accomplished your goals. You left the world a better place than the one you inherited. You appreciated earth’s beauty in all its forms. You always looked for the best in others, envied none and gave your very best to those you loved. Thank you my dear father for everything. Thank you for loving me always. You were a great soul and a great soul never truly dies. Your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever. May you continue to sleep peacefully in paradise. Love you always Lesley