RIP my brother Neil

**merv** · 29th January 2009, 16:17

I have not had a chance to be on here for well nigh six weeks because of the hectic goings on in my life (and no I will not have time to read all 45,000 posts since I went away).

You may remember I mentioned my oldest brother Neil had developed oesophagus cancer which he first had any inkling of at Easter last year. He was really disappointed to have to miss the Capital Coast Adventure ride in April.

Sadly by May the health system declared he was under palliative care and not curative, meaning his situation was terminal. I spent the rest of last year visiting him regularly and enjoying time with him, none of it on bikes because his form of cancer robbed him of the ability to eat properly and he became quite weak quite quickly losing a lot of weight.

We had no idea how long he'd last and in the meantime my cute daughter decided she was getting married in Zurich Switzerland on January 16th 2009. We had little choice but to plan for attending the wedding. If Neil had been healthy he would have come with us and he wanted us to go ahead with the wedding. We spent Xmas week with him which was nice, and I had him sign a wedding card on 27th December. On 28th of December we headed off to Europe.

Sadly two days before the wedding on 14 January Neil passed away. For the wedding on 16 January I said to my daughter she would need to keep and cherish the card as the last thing she would receive from Neil.

Undertakers are wonderful and were able to hold off the funeral until we got home this week. I see a message got posted on the Ulysses website and many of his fellow Ulyssians were in attendance. Sorry I had no time to get on here earlier.

Neil wasn't a KBer but when he came down to see us in Wellington he did attend some of the local events and go on a few rides with me so some of you did meet him.

Its too early to progress selling his bikes yet as there has to be court sign off of his death and freeing up of his estate and all the usual legal stuff. However, he cared for his bikes fanatically so they are all in good nick and the ones I would be looking to dispose of in the near future are:

Suzuki GR650 1983 (I think) done 76,000km
Suzuki DR350SE (electric start dirt bike) 1995 done 26,000km
Honda XR200RV (this is off road only - no taillight, winkers etc) 1997

Any one vaguely interested, register your interest by sending me a PM and I'll get back to you as I sort things out.

RIP brother, love you, miss you, and as was said to you at the funeral by one of your friends as he tapped your coffin "full throttle now mate".

Photos attached are just ones I found quickly of the three bikes mentioned.

**Nasty** · 29th January 2009, 16:27

Merv .. I am so sorry for your loss ... I know that this has been an incredibly hard time for you and your family ... my thoughts have been with you.

**yungatart** · 29th January 2009, 16:28

So sorry to hear of your loss, Merv.
It is wonderful that you could spend quality time with him in these last months, a very special thing for both of you.
My thoughts are with you and your family.

**Mom** · 29th January 2009, 16:29

Very sorry to hear of your loss Merv.

**merv** · 29th January 2009, 16:31

Thanks Nasty not good times for either of us recently, but brightened by the positiveness of the wedding in Zurich for me. Hope you are doing OK.

Here's a photo at the church with his coffin draped with his ride badges and one of his helmets at his head.

**Beemer** · 29th January 2009, 16:32

Really sorry to hear the sad news Merv. Take care and no doubt we'll catch up with you on the road one day.

Congratulations to your daughter on her marriage - I bet that card will be treasured.