Presence through absence

‘I DONT MISS

'

HER SO MUCH IN HERE

by Sophie Gilbert

dedicated to

Dorothy and William Dear

A small Introduction William Dear was born on the 25th of January 1933, into a military family. With his father stationed in Army bases all over England and Germany, his upbringing was strict but disjointed.

With the families return to Hartlepool, at the age 15 William began his working life as a marine engineer, an apprenticeship that was intended to set him up with a career in the with the Navy, but thats a whole different story.

During the end of his 5 year training, he met a young woman, whom he would watch as she typed in the offices near to the dock. The story goes, that he would wait outside her office at the end of his working day, to lift the back wheel of her bicycle as she determinately cycled past, ignored the scruffy youth that would bang on her window for her attention. Still peddling furiously, she would turn to her friend too ‘ask that man to put me down’.

Little did she know, that oily, overalled man whom she refused to acknowledge, was the very same who would take her ballroom dancing each weekend.

In the end, they courted for 2 years and were married in 1956, from which they became the parents to 2 children, there first born in august 58, and their second in November 61, and grandparents to 5; Billie and Hollie Dear, Sam, Hana and Sophie Gilbert.

William and Dorothy lived out their time together after William served his full 22 years as an RAF policeman, at 78 Eamont gardens, the home of all the family celebrations and occasion, a place of happiness and comfort.

But during the July of 2010, Dorothy was taken ill and died, and William became a heartbroken man having to learn how to cope with life without his soul mate.

This book has been used to chronicle a man’s process of grief and adjustment to a new life and routine, and for Sophie, to check on how her old friend is coping.

Through Dorothy’s workings yet again, families and friends have been brought together, supporting and helping one another, how she wanted us to be, and William has truly demonstrated the meaning of being one half of a whole.

1

'yOU KNOW I DONT MISS

,

HER SO MUCH IN HERE,

THIS IS WERE WE

SOMETiMES STILL

HERE’

IT

USED

TO

SIT ALL

FEELS LIKE SHES

DAY

‘I D

’

O OUT THERE THOUGH