Boromir was a brave and faithful man who tirelessly and valiantly defended those weaker than himself at any cost, including giving his life for others. It is the way he lived and it is the way he died, or that is what we know of this mythical man from Tolkien’s wonderful stories.

I’ve chosen this video to mark the passing of my second Dad, Owen Smith, who never held a sword but cut a million heads of hair with his trusty scissors while his golden smile and sweet wit held peoples attention. He was an ordinary man filled with extraordinary courage and hope -- and most of all love.

He fell in love with a woman he spent over 55 years with -- his beloved Doris. To me I can’t think of one of them without the other, it as if that Biblical concept of becoming one flesh was manifest in their every reflection, word, action, deed, song.

Yet he was the quiet one to me, the one always ready with a smile that could melt an iceberg. So sincere whether he was mucking out the stables or milking Goaty-Goat in the back yard or making Doris her hot cup of tea served in bed every possible morning of their wonderful relationship.

One year, he dug a pond on their land and laboured more hours than I could imagine, making it just perfect for his sweet Doris, the family, friends and strangers. And it was a constant labour for him from the day it was just a dream - but he fished there and we ice skated and went swimming there. It was wonderful!

A Gentle Knight

He taught me gently about his love of the Lord and the simple act of praying “just regular and from your heart”. In fact I never heard a high-flung word from his lips. He was living lessons to me, never preaching, never even correcting – unless I was about to jump out of the hayloft and break a bone.

I would have loved to be there with the rest of the family during this time but I know he knew just how very much I loved him. I wanted to say something profound about him – words are all I know – but I have no more profound words to say than this Scripture passage to mark his going home to be with his Lord and Saviour than these unlikely ones:

Jesus taught: “’You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy’; but I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax gatherers do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.’” Matthew 5:42-6:1

He was just an ordinary knight, who never had armour or a sword; and his horse was little and slow and not even white. But he is the only knight I have ever known who knew what it was to stand for something so gently and so faithfully without attention or praise, never wavering his entire life – faithful to a concept so few can conceive of. He stood for the Lord and for his beloved Doris with GRACE.

My life has been so enriched by him and I will miss him, but will never forget his lessons. And there will be no greater reward than his at his homecoming.