Katy Smith, wife to Timothy Smith who was tragically killed in a road traffic collision at Barkston Heath on April 12th, has released the following tribute:
“Tim and I met 13 years ago when we were both on holiday with friends and we married seven years ago. We have two beautiful daughters – six-year-old Poppy and two-year-old Harriet, and Tim was incredibly proud of them both.
“Tim was the most brilliant dad and he adored them as much as they did him. He was able to tap into the childlike side of his personality and was the first to get the Lego out and play with the girls and completely immerse himself in their world. Just before the accident he was re-enacting scenes from The Jungle Book with Poppy because she’s been studying it at school and he became Baloo the bear after Poppy told him he had a big belly! The last weekend before the accident all four of us went out on a bike and scooter ride and had a fish and chip supper. It was one of those perfect afternoons where I was with the family I love so much and it’s a memory I’ll treasure forever. Tim called us ‘His Girls’, family was massively important to him and everything he did was for us.
“He was sweet, he was humble, he was an obsessive football fan, he was a joker and prankster with a risqué sense of humour, he was loyal, hard-working and conscientious, he was really affectionate, a great cook, thoughtful, he wore his heart on his sleeve, and he would always surprise me with little gifts and gestures. I love and miss my gorgeous husband so much. People said that it was obvious how in love we were and it’s absolutely true, and Tim wasn’t afraid to say or show it.
“He did so much in the 32 years he had and in the 13 we had together. One of the proudest achievements was the charity we set up, Hear4Kidz, which raises funds and awareness for children who have hearing impairment. We started down that road because Poppy has hearing loss and we wanted to do something for her and other children like her.
Last year we had a football tournament for the charity and Tim did a sponsored cycle ride from Paris to Grantham.
He was out training for his next ride when the accident happened. The only good thing I can take out of it is that he was doing what he loved at the time and he was with a close friend, so he wasn’t alone.
“Tim was a massive Leeds United fan and took great time and effort in making people aware of that and winding other people up who didn’t share his passion for the team! He had an ongoing friendly feud with our next-door neighbour over football and he had so many friends from playing in South Witham and watching the game.
We’ve had so many lovely letters and cards since the accident, not to mention donations to the charity, and Tim would have been absolutely overwhelmed. It’s such a shame he didn’t know how many people loved him but he was such a humble man and found it so hard to take a compliment that even if he did know I don’t think he would have believed it.
“Losing Tim seems all so very unfair. He was always there for us and I had never even contemplated that we wouldn’t grow old together.
There were so many things to look forward to and so many things to do. Tim’s sister summed it up perfectly when she said that Tim was ‘irreplaceable’. I love and miss him so very much, but I do take comfort from the fact that he knew how much the girls and I loved him, and we know how much he loved us.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to so many people for their support during this most awful of times, including people we don’t know or may not know well who have sent messages of support. I don’t know how I’d be getting through this without our family and friends, and my parents and Tim’s parents.
Tim worked in the family business and I know his mum and dad are finding it just as heart breaking as I am not seeing and speaking to him every day.
“His funeral will take place next week and I know it will be one of the hardest days of my life, and one of the hardest for our family and friends.
But I want it to be a celebration of Tim and his life and if we can smile through our tears then I know we’ll have done him proud.
“Tim was so very loved and was so very loving in return. We will miss and remember him every day.”
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