Thomas William chapman Watt

Dad was born in Gateshead.On the 19th April 1938 aged just 17 Dad joined The Royal Northumberland
Fusiliers.He spent some time in this country before being sent to Palestine on 2nd February 1939.Dad
loved his stint in the far east.He saw a lot of Egypt & loved it so much he wanted to stay out
there.War broke out and Dad was taken prisoner.He was a prisoner from 3rd April 1941 to the 9th May
1945 and spent this time in Italy & Germany.Dad never talked much about his time as a prisoner,only
saying that "you knew they were your boss & if you weren't a fool you did as you were told."He
didn't bear any grudges he just accepted that it was part of war time, it was what happened, you
just got on with it.Dads motto has always been "life's sweet." I dont know anyone who took the most
they could get out of life like he did.Maybe that was the legacy of 4 years in confinement.After
returning home and spending a good deal of time in Blackpool recuperating,he came to this area & met
our mam.They brought up their 7 children in good times & hard times.We didnt have a whole lot of
money but whatever there was was spent on the kids.Mam & Dad must have done without a lot to give us
things.After Mams death in 1992 Dad went on holidays abroad every year.He loved Spain but also
visited our 2 sisters in Canada.and then our youngest sister Paula in Florida.Dad suffered many
health problems over the years from kidney stones to a major stroke at the age of 56.He also had a
heart attack. A major stroke is no problem when you have my Dads determination,he bounced back and
eventualy made an almost full recovery.In the last few years Dad suffered from vascular
dementia,this was caused by the strokes he had.It's very difficult watching someone you care deeply
about going through this.Then in September 2008 a specialist diagnosed Dad with lung cancer.He gave
him weeks, possibly months to live.At the time Dad was also suffering from a panic disorder &
couldn't bear to be on his own or confined to his flat.We never left him on his own ever again.We
never told him he had cancer,just that he had a bad chest.How do you tell someone who has a very
limited understanding of anything that they have cancer?If he had been well in his mind, he wouldn't
have wanted to know anyway.We also never told him that our youngest sister Paula, passed away 2
years ago as the result of a tragic accident.How would he ever have understood & come to terms with
such a thing,even we can't.I'm in no doubt that Dad suffered in silence in these last months.He
never wanted us to know when he was in pain, we had to watch for tell tale signs.That sums up his
attitude, don't moan about it, make the best of it.The only thing he asked of us in these past
months, was that we take him out & not to leave him on his own.I hope I posess just some of the
courage & determination that my Dad had. "Sadly Dad passed away on January 31st.He will be very
sadly missed.