The obituary notice of Ralph Gordon FOSTER

Grandad, thanks for the inspiration, games of snooker, trips out and memories. What you achieved in later life should be an inspiration to everyone. Love from Jamie, Sam and Lennon X

In honour of my life-affirming grandad, in the hope that the end of his very mixed bag of a life will go on to inspire others, as he has inspired me...
Ralph G. Foster:
The rascal, the scrumper, the rogue, the poacher, the safe-cracker, the convict, the jiver, the wheeler-dealer, the father, the army man, the scrapper, the lift fitter, the paraplegic, the Paralypmic gold winner, the artist, the poet, the swimmer, the person of nature, the stubbornly independent, the traveller, the endlessly curious, the argumentative, the survivor of most ailments and illnesses you can imagine, the grandfather, the great-grandfather, the storyteller, the great joker and the true lover of life.
He taught me how to survive and laugh and not need to be perfect to truly live. So here's my favourite joke of yours to see you out...
[As we drive past a cemetery]:
"People are dying to get in there you know."
Love and laughter always Grandad Ralph ❤

Dad, where do I start? You are such an enigma and anyone who knew you will know exactly what I mean. You took life by the throat and lived it to the full despite some horrendous circumstances that life threw at you. Even achieving being the best in the world at the Paralympics! Equally you are no saint and I think you quite liked that too. An early memory of me tramping through the snow with auntie Alma as a small child to visit you in hospital every week after your accident and us laughing riding in your 'noddy' car when you came out ha ha. Happy and sad tears now, as I recall. I could go on and on you held so many stories. But just know dad you were loved and will be so missed as the head of our family x Tina