James Edward Wilson (26 Aug 1949 - 26 May 2024)

I’m sitting here today with a heart that feels just as heavy as the day you left. If I’m being honest, I’m still waiting to wake up. I keep wishing that these last two years have been nothing more than a long, cruel, bad dream and that any moment now, I’ll open my eyes and find you standing there, fit and healthy, just like you used to be.
It feels impossible to wrap my head around the fact that it’s been almost two years since you gained your wings. Time has moved on, but in so many ways, I feel like I’m still standing in that exact moment the world changed.
People always say that time heals all wounds, but honestly, Dad, it doesn't feel that way. All time is doing is teaching me exactly what I’ve lost and highlighting everything I’ll never get back. Each passing day is just another reminder of the memories we won't get to make and the milestones you won't be here to see.
The house feels so quiet now. It’s empty and broken in a way that words can’t quite describe. There’s a stillness where your laughter used to be and a void in the rooms that no amount of light can fill. It simply isn’t a home without you, it will never be the same again.
We need you here so much. We miss your advice, your presence, and the way you just made everything feel okay. I miss the small things the most the sound of your voice, the way you’d check in on us, and the comfort of knowing you were just a phone call away.
I try to find peace in knowing you aren’t in any pain, but selfishly, I just want you back. I hope you’re looking down on us and that you can feel how much you are loved and missed every single second. You weren't just a part of our lives; you were the heart of them.
Until we meet again, I’ll keep your memory alive in everything I do.

I love you always

It has been a long while since I last sat down to write to you here. Lately, words feel so small, and they never seem to carry enough weight to express the things I’m feeling. I find myself searching for what to say, but more often than not, I just sit in the silence, wishing that silence could be filled with your voice instead.
Please know that you are missed more than I can ever truly put into sentences. Life carries on, but there is an ache that never really leaves. The family home just isn’t the same anymore; it feels quieter, emptier, and less like home without you there to anchor it. We find ourselves looking for you in the corners of rooms, in the way we handle things, and in the quiet moments where you used to be.
We all miss you so deeply, and there isn't a day that goes by where we don't wish you were still here with us. We wish you were here for the everyday things, the big moments, and everything in between. You are woven into the fabric of who we are, and that missing piece of the puzzle is felt every single day.
I want you to know that you are not, and you never will be, forgotten. Your memory lives on in every single one of us, held tight in our stories and our hearts. Your grandchildren carry pieces of you with them, and we make sure they know exactly who you were and how much you loved them. You are still such a massive part of our lives, even from afar. I just wanted you to know that you are always in my thoughts and forever in my heart.

Well dad got me appointment yesterday for me final surgery next week too say I'm scared is a understatement but I get through it cause got you watching over me and after I'm doing everything properly I've been giving another chance so gonna take it till we meet again love and miss you always xxxx

Could really do with a telling off or something or you at the moment like and to give me head a wobble for me but on the plus side I've gave up drinking again and hopefully will get me operation done next month then it's just a case of heal wish they could have done that with you then you still be here taking the boys on they first holiday in July just with me them and Holly so something too look forward too I suppose till we meet again dad love you xxxx

Happy Easter Dad. I love and miss you so much. You were the best dad I could have ever wished for. Thank you for everything. You were my best friend and my biggest inspiration. I’m so proud to be your daughter. Until we meet again 🤍

Dad I still can’t wrap my head around the fact you’re no longer here. My heart is forever broken. You were the best dad ever and I was very lucky to have you as my dad. Words can’t express how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll forever cherish our memories together. I’ll love and miss you every day until we meet again. Please always visit me and show me signs you are with me 🤍

Hey Dad, it’s been a while since I wrote here. Words feel so cheap now.
They feel like thin, fragile things trying to bridge a gap that is far too wide. How do I even begin to capture the weight of your absence in a few sentences. Every time I try to put pen to paper, or even just think the words, it feels like I’m failing to describe the true depth of how much has changed since you’ve been gone.
We still miss you with a ferocity that catches us off guard. It’s in the quiet moments of the morning before the world wakes up, and in the heavy stillness of the evening when the house feels too big. We miss your voice, the specific way you laughed, and the steady, quiet strength you brought into every room. There’s a constant, lingering sense that something is missing a piece of the puzzle that we’ve stopped trying to find because we know it’s with you.
I wish you were still here. I wish it with every fiber of my being. Life here just isn’t the same without you; the colors aren't as bright, and the milestones feel hollow. There are so many things I want to tell you, so many moments where I instinctively turn to look for you, only to remember that you aren’t standing there anymore. The world kept moving, people kept going about their lives, but for us, there is a permanent before and after that we can never undo.
The pain still hurts so much. They tell you that grief comes in waves, but sometimes it feels like an ocean we’re just trying not to drown in. It’s a physical ache in the chest, a lump in the throat that never quite goes away. It hurts to remember, but it hurts even more to realize how long it’s been since we saw your smile. The grief hasn't shrunk; we’ve just had to grow around it, carrying it like a heavy coat we can never take off.
I find myself looking for signs of you everywhere. I look for you in the stories we tell, in the traits I see in the rest of the family, and in the lessons you taught us without even trying. I miss the safety of your presence. You were the person who made the world feel manageable, the one who knew exactly what to say or exactly when to say nothing at all. Now, we’re left navigating a map that you were supposed to help us read.
It feels unfair that the sun still rises and the seasons still change when such a massive part of our world is gone. We go through the motions we work, we eat, we laugh but there is a bittersweetness to everything now. Every joy is tempered by the fact that you aren’t here to share it, and every sorrow is harder because you aren't here to help us through it.
We talk about you all the time. We keep your memory alive because it’s the only thing we have left to hold onto, but God, I would give anything just to have five more minutes. Just to hear you say my name one more time, or to see you sitting in your favorite spot, looking like everything is exactly as it should be.
The house is too quiet without your footsteps. The future looks different than we imagined. But even though you aren't here physically, I hope you can feel the love we’re still sending your way every single day. You aren't just a memory; you are the foundation of who we are, and that will never change, no matter how much time passes.
I’ll keep writing to you, even if the words never feel like enough. I’ll keep looking for you in the quiet. I love you, Dad, and I miss you more than these cheap words could ever say.

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact you’re no longer here. I miss you so much Dad. People say it gets easier with time but it gets harder with time. It hurts knowing you won’t be able to see me get married or have any kids. I love you so much Dad. Thank you for everything growing up. I’ll forever be grateful you’re my dad. Until we meet again 🤍

I’m sitting here in the quiet of the night, and the weight of your absence feels heavier than ever. They say time is supposed to make things easier, but the truth is, the more I navigate life, the more I realize just how much I relied on the man you were. You weren't just my father; you were the blueprint.
You set a standard for what it means to be a man and a father that is almost impossible to match. It wasn't just in the big things you did, but in the way you carried yourself—with a quiet strength, a steady hand, and a heart that always put us first. You were our anchor, the person who made the world feel safe just by being in it. Now that you’re gone, the world feels a lot less certain, and your presence is missed in ways I can’t even fully describe.
There is a silence in the house where your voice should be, and a stillness in the rooms that used to be filled with your energy. We see you in everything. I see you in the way I try to handle a problem, in the way I look at my own family, and in the moments I find myself wishing I could just ask for your take on things one more time.
My greatest goal in this life is to be half the dad to my kids that you were to me. If I can show them the same kindness, teach them the same integrity, and give them the same unwavering support that you gave me, then I’ll know I’ve succeeded. I want them to have the kind of childhood you gave me—one where they never doubt they are loved and protected.
I promise you this: your name will always be spoken in this house. My kids are going to grow up knowing exactly who their Grandad was. They will know about your character, your laugh, and the lessons you taught me. Even though they can’t hold your hand, they will know your heart through me.
You were an amazing man, Dad. You were the best of us, and while I feel broken right now because you’re gone, I am so incredibly proud to be your son. We will never forget you. We will keep your memory alive in every story, every holiday, and every milestone.
I miss you more than words can say. I hope I make you proud.
Love you forever,

When the clock strikes twelve, my thoughts will be you,
Not the noise, not the crowds, not the year that’s new.
While the world counts down and the sky fills with light,
I’ll be missing you most in that quiet of night.

Another year ending, another begins,
And I still wish you were here to see how I’ve been.
So much has changed, yet so much remains,
Your love still comforts, your memory sustains.

I think of your voice, the way you would say
“Everything’s fine, you’ll find your way.”
Those words still guide me when I feel unsure,
A steady reminder I’m strong and secure.

Time moves forward, but grief has its ways,
It softens some nights and deepens some days.
Still, through the ache, I’ve learned how to grow,
Carrying your lessons wherever I go.

I see you in sunsets, in stars shining bright,
In quiet moments, in dreams late at night.
I feel you near when I need you most,
A gentle presence, a guiding ghost.

As midnight arrives and a new year is born,
I promise to live with hope, not worn.
To laugh when I can, to love deep and true,
To be the best version of me thanks to you.

So Happy New Year, Dad, in heaven above,
Wrapped in peace, surrounded by love.
Until the day I’m back in your arms again,
I’ll carry you forward this year, and then.

second christmas without you grandad we miss you lots how much things have changed without you by our sides and how different christmas and other stuff feels without you i love you lots 🤍

Merry Christmas Dad 😞😞😞

You should be here with us but unfortunately that’s not the case 😞😞

We love you so much 🕊️🕊️🕊️❤️❤️❤️