In loving tribute of my dad, Paul Godley, who lost his courageous fight against lung cancer on Remembrance Day 2010. Paul was 62 years old when he passed away. Not a long life by today's standards, but a life incredibly well lived. Paul Godley was born in Harworth, South Yorkshire, in April of 1948, the fifth of nine children. He joined the British Army as a teenager, serving with the Yorkshire Regiment and the Royal Army Pay Corps. He served in Yemen, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kenya and Germany. After over 30 years service he left the forces in 1989 having reached the rank of Warrant Officer First Class. Throughout his army career, he was a very keen sportsman who would try his hand at almost any sport, including boxing, parachuting, football, cricket, skiing and many more. When it was suggested he take up golf he declined in his own unique way which many who knew him might remember well, saying that he always considered golf to be a sport for the 'less masculine' of his species- or words to that effect! Instead, he took up green bowling with his usual gusto and was promptly selected to represent Kenya in the XII Commonwealth Games 1982 in Brisbane, Australia. It was a terrible disappointment for him when due to developing kidney problems and two subsequent operations he was unable to go, but he always kept 'the letter' from the Kenyan Bowling Association. Back from Kenya and with his football days well behind him, Paul was getting uneasy about finding another pastime to keep him active, and after plenty of coaxing from his friends eventually agreed to give this 'golf lark' a go. He was hooked immediately and joined the Golf- und Landclub Bad Salzuflen e.V. in Germany. With his usual dedication (some might say obsession!) he eventually brought his handicap down to 8.9. Golf became his great passion, and he would never miss a chance to play in a tournament. Paul was an extremely sociable person with a healthy portion of mischief and an ever-present twinkle in his eyes. He had quite amazing communication skills, fantastic common sense and a very pronounced sense of fairness. During his time with the forces he lived and breathed army to the extent that we never imagined he would make the transition to civilian life. Yet again he managed with ease and made lots more friends in the process. The turnout for his memorial services bore testimony to his enormous popularity. It is so typical of Paul that one funeral service wasn't enough! At the funeral service in Germany, the golfing fraternity attended in its entirety, and some of the many friends who had come to pay their last respects had to wait outside the chapel. His friend Jimmy Akehurst sang 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra at the end of the service which encompassed everything Paul stood for. It was Paul's wish that a memorial service be held in his home town of Harworth for the extended family who would not be able to travel to Germany for the funeral. We were all so very touched by the number of Paul's childhood friends who came to remember him that day. It was a truly dignified send-off for a highly respected man who will be sorely missed by so many. As for the family, Paul's loss is just too much to bear but we all take great comfort in the fact that his suffering is at an end. We welcome any photos or stories you wish to share, as well as donations to this wonderful cause. If you didn't know Paul personally but still feel you would like to honour his memory, then on behalf of all of us who loved him - we thank you. Paul was laid to rest in Lubbecke, Germany, and he is survived by his wife, Helma and five children; Yana, Samantha, Scott, Maren and Kaye and their families.