Tribute to Colin Read by Colin’s son in law Jon Phillips. Motor Neurons is a devastating disease, it robs you of your mobility, your ability to speak and tries to take away your dignity. There’s nothing you can do to stop it and it’s very painful to watch a loved one suffer in this way. Colin was incredibly brave whilst facing this challenge. His positive spirit never faltered and that amazing sense of humour stayed right until the very end. Colin was born on the 24th May 1942 in Ilford Kent, he was the eldest of three boys born to Bill & Enid, being a big brother to both Keith & Geoff. After moving to Wanstead and attending McKenzie Tech secondary school he started an apprenticeship at Burke Chemicals…the name of which must have amused him immensely! It was here that his love affair with paint stated. Another love was Jenny who Colin married in 1963. They moved to Pembury and had two wonderful daughters, Karen and Leanne. One wonderful daughter is my wife, so I personally have a lot to thank Colin for. Karen and Leanne have many happy memories of their childhood, lovely sunny camping holidays France and not so lovely rainy camping holidays in Wales. Colin was a dab hand at a summer BBQ’s, he also tried winter ones, in the garage no less, resulting in a nice boxing day visit from the fire brigade. In 1979 Colin took a job with the Dutch paint company Sikkens and the family moved to Shrivenham. It was here that his love for this village began. Later in life Colin was lucky enough to find his greatest love, when he met Chris. They were married in 1984 and lived in Covingham this time with Chris’s wonderful daughters, Kathy & Louise. A few years later Colin and Chris start ‘Holman Specialist paints’, a family business that they slowly built into a very successful company. In 1994 Shrivenham became home again when Colin & Chris moved into their current home in Berens road. Colin immersed himself in village life, becoming involved with numerous activities, including a rather memorable pantomime performance of babes in the wood. Colin played nurse Glucose who wore some rather memorable pink lipstick. I sat next to his father Bill that night, who heckled him repeatedly throughout the show. In 2011 Colin and Chris sold HSP giving them more time to spend enjoying village life, seeing their friends and travelling extensively to all the places they had been dreaming of visiting. Everyone here will have their own special memories of Colin, as a husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend. To us all he was a lovely man, gentle, caring and kind. He was thoughtful and honest...and he loved to tell a joke or two… On this point a certain joke springs to mind, so one last time in Colin’s memory…. Dave, was bragging to his boss one day, "You know, I know everyone there is to know. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them." Tired of his boasting, his boss called his bluff, "OK, Dave, how about Tom Cruise?" "No dramas boss, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it." So Dave and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise's door, and Tom Cruise shouts, "Dave! What's happening? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!" Although impressed, Dave's boss is still sceptical. After they leave Cruise's house, he tells Dave that he thinks him knowing Cruise was just lucky. "No, no, just name anyone else," Dave says. "President Obama," his boss quickly retorts. "Yup," Dave says, "Old buddies, let's fly out to Washington," and off they go. At the White House, Obama spots Dave on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying, "Dave, what a surprise, I was just on my way to a meeting, but you and your friend come on in and let's have a beer first and catch up." Well, the boss is very shaken by now but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White House grounds he expresses his doubts to Dave, who again implores him to name anyone else. "Pope Francis," his boss replies. "Sure!" says Dave. "I've known the Pope for years." So off they fly to Rome. Dave and his boss are assembled with the masses at the Vatican's St. Peter's Square when Dave says, "This will never work. I can't catch the Pope's eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the balcony with the Pope." He disappears into the crowd headed towards the Vatican. Sure enough, half an hour later Dave emerges with the Pope on the balcony, but by the time Dave returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics. Making his way to his boss' side, Dave asks him, "What happened?" His boss looks up and says, "It was the final straw... you and the Pope came out on to the balcony and the man next to me said, 'Who is that on the balcony with Dave?' Humour was obviously paramount in Colin’s life and he was quite a fan of the two Ronnie’s, so as they used to say… It’s goodnight from me and it’s goodnight from him.