Sorry to hear this Nibs, he sounds like a good, honest family man who will be greatly missed by his family, work colleagues and students. An extra thought goes out to your 7 year old nephew.
having felt the loss of my dad very recently, I empathise a great deal with your losses.... please take whatever comfort you can from being there - we find strength from the smallest things, and it is those small things that see us through. use the abuse the board at your leisure - and most importantly - be kind to yourself too. take care