Christopher Woodliffe 30/12/1948 – 22/09/2026
It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog, for a week ago my dear brother Chris passed away.
As he was just over 4 years older than me, I knew him all my life. When we were young, I remember him reluctantly taking me along, when he went to the park, on my mother´s instructions. I would sit there, playing with my doll, watching them play football or cricket.
The first time he got drunk I remember going from the front room into the hallway and looking up at this stranger, hanging off the top banister, calling down to me. I got my mother from the kitchen because he frightened me!
I had a French penfriend when I was at school, and he came to visit us, and we have renewed our acquaintance on Facebook recently. When he heard of Chris´s death he wrote me a beautiful message, remembering his visit to us in April 1971. He said he remembered Chris as being wonderful, cheerful, funny and an original young man who radiated the joy of life.
His first marriage was to a lady called Pam, and together they had a lovely daughter called Joanna. I have one photo of the four cousins, my 3 and Chris´s Jo. The wedding photo was quite a fantastic one too, showing the different fashions of the time, the 60s.
Pam and Chris separated, though amicably, we are all still friends on Facebook.
Chris met Karen and they have been together now for a long time. Amazingly they were housesitting in the area around Baza when John lived there and, although they did not meet, it is more than likely that they passed each other on the street or were even in the same bar.
After Jo had her son, during which time they returned to the UK, they came back out to Spain, and John and I went to where they were renting in Murcia just over an hour away from here, so that they could all get to know each other. Driving to see the nearby coast, Chris commented that his favourite car was always parked down this street, to which John replied, “The green Mehari?” They were amazed they both knew the car, which is explained how John knew it, as he had had a job delivering free English newspapers to various expat sites in Murcia.
Eventually, they wanted to move, and we found a place nearby in the town of Antas, 10 minutes from here. One day, when Karen was visiting her family in the UK, Chris drove up into the town of Antas, did some shopping, had a coffee and then walked back home. The next morning, he went to get in his car to find out it wasn´t there!! John then gave him the nickname of Carlos (car loss).
They then moved to the house next door to us, which had not been lived in for quite a few years. As Chris set to decorating the place, John´s nickname for him changed to Picasso, as he was always painting.
Sadly, his health started deteriorating about 8-9 months ago, and Tuesday of last week, he slipped into a coma, and then peacefully passed away.
This last week has been a very sad one, but now I must remember the good times, the fun and laughter, his nicknames, and the good times we had together.
~
I have not forgotten my promise to you to publish book 4, “Unforgivable Sins” in September, and I have not broken that promise. The book is available as a paperback or an e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple, I just thought it would be disrespectful to shout about it in this sad time.
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