These messages have been sent to Spain but are equally relevant and important to family members in Canada.
Personal content to Sylvia has been omitted where practical.
Posted in the order they were received. The Italic notes are to add more information for the family as the individual names might not be known to them.
Thank you for the news... its a shame but better really than suffering as he seems to have done recently.Please take care of yourself now and you have Sandy and the children to look forward to.
Lots of love and God bless... Bryan and Nancy (Scott)
My Dear Sylvia,
Just to say how sorry I am to receive your news about Rob, but I am sure he is now in a better place and at peace.
Please feel you can ask me if there is anything that I can do in anyway.
Much love, my thoughts are with you.
Jeffrey xxx (Stenning)
Dear Sylvia
John and I were both saddened to receive your news this morning but also relieved on your behalf.
We would both like to attend Rob's funeral and if there is anything we can do to help you, please let us know.
Luv, Angela and John (Webb)
Dear Sylvia,
I am very sorry to hear the sad news; I know that you have been a great support to Rob over the years. I have been kept informed of the situation by Anna and Anton Verbeek and also Barry Stiles our Welfare Officer.
I will now be informing all the Aircrew members using our Alert System and no doubt we will be hearing about the funeral arrangements in due course. I should say that if it can be avoided, Wednesday is a bad day for the Association as many members who would wish to pay their respects to Rob are attending an Aircrew lunch that day.
Please accept our sincere condolences, Brian and Anne Weskett.
(Chairman Javea Aircrew Assc)
Dear Sylvia,
So sorry to hear about Rob.
Please accept our condolences to you and his family.
Love
Jan and Kev Elders
RAFA
Dear Sylvia,
I was so sorry to hear the sad news about Rob. As you know, Viv is away and is not contactable but I know that she would want to join with me in offering our sincere condolences to you. Please extend these condolences to Clive and his family when you have the opportunity.
Words are never sufficient in these circumstances but at least you know that our thoughts are with you.
With love, John and Viv (Siderfin)
Dear Clive,
On behalf of all staff from Benimeli Club Residencial our condolences with the passing away of your father.
We feel all very sad about it and we will all miss him sincerely. Especially me, I will miss the fun and the little "fights" we had about the lighters and other things. One of the nice things of your father is, that after our little "fights" we always shaked hands and had a good laugh about what happened.
I am sure he passed away very peacefully and with the thoughts that Sylvia was close by which made him even more relaxed. When I was in hospital yesterday morning he was quiet and Sylvia was putting the earphone in his ear so he could listen to his most favourite music.
I wish you all the best and strenght to deal with the idea not to have a father anymore.......
Kind regards, Fred
Fred Mulder
recepción - promoción
Hi Sylvia
There is not a lot I can say but I am so sorry.You always were there for him and I know how much he loved you.
Please pass on our condolences to Clive.
I am sure Rob will make heaven a livelier place and keep a watch over you.
Love from us both
Pat and Terry (Goss)
Hello Sylvia
I was very sad to receive your message and Ann joins me in sending you our sympathy. Our colleagues and I on 101 course had great benefit from Rob's instruction and comradeship and were delighted to be able to meet up with you both not too long ago.
With best wishes from John and Ann (Potter)
John Potter – From Pilot Training Course 101 when Rob was one of the Instructors
Dear Sylvia,
I have just heard about the sad passing of Robert and would like to send you a hug. It is such a difficult time and takes time to heal from. Benimeli told me that Rob was in a lot of pain and I feel so sorry for that, at least Reg did not suffer. It is now three weeks since Reg went and at last this week I am feeling a lot better. The head has stopped spinning, never seemed to stop.
Seems ironic that our 'two front men' should pass away so close together. What a big gap in the Benimeli family....
Thankfully Rob was not in pain at the end and as you say, he had his wish that you sleep by his side again - I like that.
A big hug
Love
Christine (Barber)
Dear Sylvia,
I am very sad about Robertos death.
When I saw him going first time to hospital I thought that he won´t come back.
But he came back. It was a surprise and a present. I`ve seen him very quiet and content.
I think it was the result of his life.
I wish that he is happy where his is now, have a lot of fun there and find a good receptionist who receive him. I will miss him because how you know we had a special relation from smoker to smoker and I liked him really very much.
For you, Sylvia I wish all the best, knowing that an important part of your life is away now.
Very kind regards
Sabina
recepción Benimeli
My Dear Sylvia
What can I say? There is sadness when anybody dies, he was a colourful figure right to the end, and did everything his Way!! I am sorry he has gone and am sure his many friends will feel the same. You have always been his very best friend you remained so through some very difficult times, your strength and love kept him aliveYou can feel proud that you kept your promise to him ,he would have known you were there with him, when he took his final step . No human being could have done more.
Stay strong, and eat, drink and rest.!
My love to you always
IRIS xxx
Sylvia
I know that you would have brought him immense comfort towards the end, knowing that you were there for him, as you always have been.
Lots of love, take care
Janet (Feak)
Hi Sylvia .
Thank you for the email on Rob. I never have been able to find any words that really mean anything for the loss of a friend and those left behind but I guess Rob wll be able to do what he did best now ...
much love Ian and Elaine (Philips)
Thank you so much for letting me know Sylvia.
As you said Rob will liven things up considerably up there as the new Don Quixote.
He managed to liven things up down here as well didn't he?
For yourself I wish you strength in the coming months.
Regards
Pam (Dawson Tasker)
RBL Poppy Appeal Co-ordinator during the period of Robs tenure with local Branch
Dear Sylvia,
Your news this morning was not unexpected, and though sad was almost a
relief. It must have been a great comfort to Rob's family that he was
with you and friends until the end, and now his suffering is over. He is
probably now in some celestial mess, swapping tales with old chums and
puffing on a cigar.
Lots of love,
Wendy (Carter)
Hello Sylvia
Thank you so much for letting us know the sad news about Rob. They don't make them like that anymore and hope he is having a ball wherever he may be!
Thinking of you and sending love
Marion and Bill Joe and Kathryn (Muir)
Thanks Sylvia - now please take that time to 'hunker down' and rest. You will always have an angel on your shoulder.
Love Kathy (Jay)
Hi Sylvia,
So sorry to hear about Rob's passing. I'm sure it was made more comfortable for him with your presence. As you say he is free from suffering now, and he will be rejuvenated and reunited with loved ones up in heaven.
Our condolences.
Karen and family xx (Thorton)
Dear Rob,
Forever in our memories...I smile everytime I think of you. So many years have passed since we spent time with you and Sylvia. Your humour, your charm and your kindness to all of us. What more could we have asked for? Thankyou for allowing us to be friends, for introducing Spain to us and for making us laugh! Especially after New years Eve!!
You will forever hold a smile in our hearts.
Anne xoxo (Canada)
Hi Sue, Clive and family,
I am very sorry for your loss , your dad was a very nice man and it was always great when you brought him to regatta's that he enjoyed so very much.
Take care. Marvin (Coulson)
Dear Sylvia,
Many thanks for your email. Gordon, Sagra a member of the British Legion rang us this morning with the sad news.
He will be sadly missed by everyone but particularly by you. He always talked about you and how much you meant to him.
Derek's short stay in Benimeli was made more bearable by Rob taking him under his wing and showing him the ropes!! Derek loved hearing his stories and I know that Rob enjoyed telling them.Together they created fun and perhaps mayhem but thoroughly enjoyed their time spent together. I am never sure quite what to say at these times but our thoughts and love go to you and please pass on our condolences to his family
Take care of yourself.
Love,
Eileen and Derek. XXXXX (Nathan)
Dear Sylvia,
I have received this afternoon the sad news about Rob, had he been ill, or was it sudden? I have not been able to get to the Legion for ages.
I remember the years at the Legion when Rob was Chairman with deep affection, there was so much more camaraderie in those days.
I have been looking through my RBL file in the time that Rob was Chairman, when I was Treasurer, my word how one forgets, we used to raise so very much more money in those years for the Poppy Fund, but Rob was a live wire & in those days the Branch seemed to have so much more camaraderie, I know we are all older but it is sad.
At least I can remember Rob when I visited him at Benimeli, we had some good laughs for over two hours.
I know you must be feeling sad Sylvia, but you will have happy memories also, I will remember Rob in my prayers, and you also. God Bless,
Love Kathy (Kington)
Dear Sylvia,
Eileen and I would like to add our thoughts to those already expressed with regard to Rob and your selfless care and devotion to him in his final days. Nobody could have done more to ease the pain of his passing. This will also be appreciated by his family to whom we offer our condolences.
We remember meeting both of you for the first time in the Spring of 1988 when Rob joined the Aircrew Association of which he was an early member. His flying experience enabled him to mix well with his fellow pilots and other aircrew who remember him as being very professional, sometimes enigmatic but always amusing. Eileen and I also remember him for his ability with music, a gift which he tended to keep hidden and we recall that he could play both classical and popular music solely from memory. He had so many attributes for which he will be missed and we hope that these will be remembered at his memorial service in September.
Our community here in Spain is the poorer for his absence.
Peter and Eileen Beechey.
Thanks for letting me know Sylvie,
I will pass the message on to those who knew Rob in the group. I am glad he wasn't suffering or in pain when he died. That is a blessing and a comfort to you and all the family I am sure.
All good wishes,
Elaine Ball
Hello - I THINK I posted a message. However , just in case I did not, would like to say how sad I was to hear the news.It is a very strange situation to have your loved one no longer with you, but still with you in your heart.Glad you were able to be with him until the end- hope to see you again sometime ,
love Susan. (Ros)
Dear Sylvia
Sorry, sorry, sorry… So sorry to hear about Rob.
At last he has his ‘wings’ and we hope soaring on high and looking at us poor mortals left behind with all the strife he has left behind. Mind you, wings he may have now…. Let’s trust he won’t be flying too near the flames to get them scorched!! No I’m sure he will be tuning up on some electronic harp and getting set for a knees-up. Still it’s sad. End of an era and all that. Our thoughts turn to you now who had a very special place in his life, and I am sure he in yours. Yet another hole left in your life of caring to be filled in due course by some other deserving cause. Let’s hope that you will reap as much joy from that as you did from Rob. Alas we are all reaching that stage in our life when we are deleting names from our address books and Christmas card lists.
Lots of love from us both S&D xxxx
Sylvia,
Sad to receive the news about Rob. He always brought a smile to our faces. Glad you were able to help look after him to the end and see him off on his final mission. Don't know how he'll get on with wings on his back though, suppose he'll get used to it.
Marion and Bill
The course was from April to December 1954 at RAF Oakington near Cambridge
Yours with sympathy from 101 Course members and instructors.
John Potter
HI Sylvia,
Hope you are well...I've looked on the blog, and it's lovely. The photos are fitting to the moments, and I believe all things happen for a reason, including the ethereal rays and the divine sunsets.
Yes, people like Rob who are colourful, and lively and not afraid to say the truth, nor call a spade a spade, are the ones that have actually really lived their lives. The ones we remember the most, and the ones who are most effective in Heaven, I believe.
I was deeply humbled to read that Rob decided to donate his body to research, and filled with admiration for that gesture.
Love
Karen xx
Dear Sylvia,
I was very sorry to hear the sad news about and my condolences to you. It
must be very hard as you had been friends for such a very long time and I
know that you cared for him greatly. Due to his stay in Benimeli we had not
seen him for a very long time. He was always a Gentleman to us and I have
very fond memories of him/you not only in the RBL but on our various jaunts
together - Sevilla, Mallorca and the Spanish Pyrennes and many other places.
To get to Rob's life I believe that Rob was Chairman of the Jalon Valley
Branch of the RBL when we joined in 1998, Kathy Kington or Mrs Alexander
should know. I think he remained Chairman until at least 2001/2 although not
sure about this.
Regards and sympathies,
John Collyer