Alexander BINGHAM

Nick and I thought of Alec and Janet as family ever since we were next-door neighbours to Alec's parents in Chantry View Rd in Guildford, Surrey in England. In the late 50's, when I was a little boy, Alec's Dad would hand pieces of fruit to me through the fence while I watched him gardening. I and my brother, Nick and my now deceased sister, Liz, would visit Alec's Mum in the sitting-room where she was covered with rugs, and she would direct us to a drawer which contained chocolates and sugared almonds and she would request us to help ourselves.
Alec and Janet showed enormous love and kindness to my entire family including my parents, Andrew and Elise,
over the years.
Mary and Michael and David should all be proud of everything that they did to care for Janet and Alec, and to have provided Alec with such loving support and kindness since Janet died too soon.
Nick and I feel a huge sense of privilege for having known Alec and Janet since 1967 when Nick visited from England following a non-stop Greyhound trip from Ontario after visiting Expo '67 in Montreal.
My father, Andrew, my brother, Nick, and I all attended Marlborough College
in England but, Unlike Alec's caning at Marlborough, my caning happened several times at my Prep School, Lanesborough!
We were lucky to visit Hermit and, on my one visit ther, Alec fried oysters that we had gathered on the beach. Delicious memory, and of Janet being "mother" to a stranded baby seal that had lost its Mum.

I have fond memories of Alec at Hermit, almost always with either, a cup of tea, or an instrument of construction. In his quiet way, he was never quite still, yet never less than fully present and loving in all that he did. I knew he loved the place as we did, and worked to keep it whole.

Both he and Janet were endlessly kind to me. SO often we sat, swapping stories and jokes on the sun-speckled deck overlooking the bay with the blackberries waving in the gentle breeze and the bees continually a-buzz, or in the warm, cozy kitchen accompanied by the sound of the drizzle on a dark day as it plink-plinked its way off the roof and down the big flagstone steps just outside the heavy wooden door.

Sometimes, he'd be under the sink with a wrench, other times he'd sit across from me and we'd tell fish stories :)

Go softly, gentle Alec ~ Your loving-kindness shall not be forgotten.

Much Love and Peace to your treasured family and your many friends.

Julia Tupper
Vancouver Washington

My dad - Bill Dawson - worked with your dad for many years at BA and Gulf Oil. He and my mom, Bunty, always spoke so highly of "Alec" and appreciated keeping in touch with him after retirement. He sounded like a true gentleman in a business that could be pretty competitive. My thoughts are with your family at this time.

My first experience of Alec was at our summer paradise at Hermit Island, as a gangly, obstreperous teenager. Alec took me under his wing as did his loving wife, Janet. I remember his gentle and humorous teasing and definitely that 'twinkle' in his eye.

Alec saved my bacon a few times, rousting me out of my kip at some ungodly hour, near dawn, to advise that the boat I had used the night before had somehow become adrift, either still in sight in the bay or missing, and he'd help me get it back. I was always perplexed as to why a boat I tied up would become untied and go adrift. I developed the opinion that it was some kind of 'conspiracy' or joke. In any event, we always seemed to get the boat back to the dock and safely DOUBLE-tied up before my father would discover the (alleged) 'act of a careless teenager' thus putting me in the dog house. Now, every time I tie up a vessel, I use a bowline and two half-hitches to make the boat fast, and remember Alec with great fondness for his having been interested and caring about me, as was his endearing nature. Farewell Alec. You are now finally free of earthly encumbrances...and on a new journey.

My heartfelt condolences to his children Michael, Mary and David, and the grandchildren Daniel, James, Megan and Bridget.