George Housego Tributes
Neil:
We are here today not to be sad, but to celebrate the life of George Housego MBE, who without doubt, was the most inspirational man I have ever known.
He was a great mentor to me in particular. I will always remember his smile, his humour and his compassion. He had a charismatic quality that will live with me forever. George was a true father figure and a fantastic granddad.
He would often joke about his age, saying that they lost his birth certificate when he was young and that he was much younger than he actually was. George was never afraid of dying, as he had faced that many years ago during his truly incredible experiences in the second world war in the Far East.
When I was young, and when George first came into the lives of me, my mother and my brothers, I would make cups of tea at the weekend and for my reward I would get 30p a cup. I would make sure he drank lots of tea….
He was very loyal to us all, although one of his favourite phrases was ‘don’t let your mother know’ about some of the things I got up to as a teenager. This was borne out of a concern not to cause more stress than necessary to my mother in bringing up three boys.
I remember in particular our caravan trips to All-Hallows and trips to Devon and Cornwall. I recall him being so proud of his new car at the time – it was like being driven around in a roller coaster. George would indicate around bends, park five feet from the pavement and leave the car unlocked, but that was George.
He is my hero, my inspiration and my friend - God Bless George.
Graeme:
My father left my mother when I was ten. After a few years of sadness and worry, she started going out dating again. After meeting some completely unsuitable friends, my mother had the great fortune to meet this man George.
He would prove to be the one to take her out of her gloom, make her smile again and then spend the next 35 years continually making her laugh.
George brought fun and happiness to our home, as well as showing me practical things that a boy of my age needed to learn from a father, as well as some terrible card-tricks. I greatly appreciated and learnt from his friendship, his kindness and his tolerance.
He taught me many important things to do with buildings and construction. He gave me a steer towards the profession I have been in ever since, this is despite the experiences he and I shared when I was let loose as casual labour on building sites where he was the site manager. Health and safety concerns have changed immensely since those days and I can vouch for his well-worn, favourite phrase ‘don’t let your mother know’…..
George shared with our family over the years his memories of his experiences as a young man and as a prisoner of war in the Far East, which horrified and astounded us in equal measure. Over time we appreciated his fantastic sense of humour, his solidity and strength of character, which we realised had got him through those awful times. He did not forget but his forgiving nature, his positivity and humility had played a great part in enabling him to deal with them.
In later life, George enjoyed enormously his visits with my mother to Buckingham Palace, Lloyds of London, the Cenotaph, the Arboretum and numerous other places where he was involved with the British Legion, the Not Forgotten Association, FEPOWS and COFEPOWS. He visited Japan and the Far East and was involved with Reconciliation groups, leading to the award of his MBE.
He also in recent years shared his war-time experiences with primary schoolchildren, visiting schools to talk about his own personal history. When he visited my own daughter Emma’s school, all the children in her class were moved to write to him afterwards as they were so amazed and inspired to meet a man who had actually lived through that time.
This selflessness, his generosity and love will continue to inspire us all. He was a true father to me, a perfect granddad to our girls and we will all miss him.
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