Sharp Blue: Christopher Duncan Robert Baker (1945-2004)

My father died peacefully in his sleep just before four o’clock this afternoon, surrounded by his family. He was the best of men: kind without limit, unstintingly generous, unfailingly brave, slow to anger, quick to forgive, unbelievably hard-working, entirely without vices, truly good and decent. I’ve never known anyone else like him, and feel lucky beyond my power to express that he was my father. He was someone who touched everyone and made their lives better (even a doctor who’d only treated him the last few days was in tears this afternoon). His last thoughts and wishes were not of himself, but of his family and friends.

He told us all not to waste time mourning his passing. I’m going to try to honour this by holding myself not to the standards to which he held others, but to the standards of utmost excellence that he not only expected of himself but so effortlessly met. I hope that I will one day be even half the man he was.