You play the game of life with the cards it deals you. In October 1990 it dealt us a royal card when my wife Paula and I were drawn to play a round of golf in Hilton Head with Carol Kelley. It meant we celebrated our first wedding anniversary with her and, serendipitously, our second too, when by chance she turned up unplanned on the putting green on the first day of our second consecutive golfing holiday to South Carolina. It led to Carol visiting us at home in the UK to hold our first-born daughter in her arms, and in a later year when she came to visit a relative in the UK - we seem to remember that her relative was a nun?

Bringing up our girls and the change in her personal circumstances meant that we never again met in person, but every October (Hilton Head time!) brought a call from Carol.

Whoever wrote Carol’s obituary has nailed her characteristics. She exuded calm, and radiated love, not least for her daughters, who she spoke about with deep emotion.

We wondered of her often, but only today did a Google search for her bring the sad news of her demise.

As someone very dear to me said on the occasion of his sister’s death, the bells will have been ringing in heaven on the day Carol arrived.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace, for evermore