Popular TV presenter’s tearful tribute to her father: ‘We grew up thinking we could do anything’
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We here at the SDC are so sorry to hear about the recent family tragedy of one of our favourite Australian TV presenters.
A journalist and former broadcaster with more than 20 years of experience, Chris Bath, has taken to social media to pay tribute to her father, Donald, after his passing.
Chris posted on her official Instagram account on Wednesday with a lengthy and emotional tribute to her father Donald, who passed away peacefully on Monday evening surrounded by loved ones after suffering a series of devastating strokes.
She said her father didn’t want a funeral or the ‘hoo ha’ as he called it, and attached several pictures of her dad in the post.
Chris also described her dad as a ‘quiet, effortlessly funny man’ and a ‘larrikin energy tractor beam that drew in anyone in his orbit’.
She also admitted that her dad would’ve ‘killed it in show business’, but that her dad was a draftsman by trade.
In her tribute, Chris shared memories of hanging out with Don, and how he taught her how to mow the lawn, wash the car, and how to sail.
‘We grew up thinking we could do anything because he told us so.’
She said it was a ‘terrible shock’ when Don had his first stroke in 2009. Chris described how her dad was paralysed from his right side and struggled to speak.
‘Dad didn’t smoke, didn’t drink much (I probably drank more in a month at uni than Dad drank in his lifetime) and was super fit,’ Chris wrote.
She also described Don as a ‘really active grandfather, who was the light of his grandchildren’s lives’.
Still, Don managed to make the best out of his situation, even after suffering from multiple strokes for almost 14 years. But his last stroke was almost ‘too much to bear’ for their family.
‘It forced Dad into a nursing home care, unable to speak or walk at all, but cruelly able to comprehend everything, and still, he found a way to make other people feel good,’ Chris explained.
Finally, she added that before her dad passed away, their family was able to say goodbye and tell Don how much they loved him, and thank him for everything.
‘Not everyone gets that chance, and we are grateful the universe finally threw him a bone,’ she added.
‘Rest in peace, my beautiful Dad.’
Chris’ husband, Jim Wilson, said on a radio show Tuesday afternoon that it’s been a ‘sad 24 hours’ for the family, but that his father-in-law died ‘peacefully’.
‘For my wife Chris, well, her Dad meant so much to her and she reckons her tomboy traits all stem from watching Don in the workshop in the family home,’ he said.
Jim also shared: ‘It’s a sad time, but also a time to reflect and celebrate a great man who, despite being confronted by a terrible and insidious condition, he made the most of his life and the cruel cards he was dealt.’
We send our condolences to Chris and her family during this time and are sorry for her loss.
A journalist and former broadcaster with more than 20 years of experience, Chris Bath, has taken to social media to pay tribute to her father, Donald, after his passing.
Chris posted on her official Instagram account on Wednesday with a lengthy and emotional tribute to her father Donald, who passed away peacefully on Monday evening surrounded by loved ones after suffering a series of devastating strokes.
She said her father didn’t want a funeral or the ‘hoo ha’ as he called it, and attached several pictures of her dad in the post.
Chris (left) and her father Don. Credit: 7News
Chris also described her dad as a ‘quiet, effortlessly funny man’ and a ‘larrikin energy tractor beam that drew in anyone in his orbit’.
She also admitted that her dad would’ve ‘killed it in show business’, but that her dad was a draftsman by trade.
In her tribute, Chris shared memories of hanging out with Don, and how he taught her how to mow the lawn, wash the car, and how to sail.
‘We grew up thinking we could do anything because he told us so.’
She said it was a ‘terrible shock’ when Don had his first stroke in 2009. Chris described how her dad was paralysed from his right side and struggled to speak.
‘Dad didn’t smoke, didn’t drink much (I probably drank more in a month at uni than Dad drank in his lifetime) and was super fit,’ Chris wrote.
She also described Don as a ‘really active grandfather, who was the light of his grandchildren’s lives’.
The tearful tribute recounted Chris’ memories with her father. Credit: chrisbath on Instagram
Still, Don managed to make the best out of his situation, even after suffering from multiple strokes for almost 14 years. But his last stroke was almost ‘too much to bear’ for their family.
‘It forced Dad into a nursing home care, unable to speak or walk at all, but cruelly able to comprehend everything, and still, he found a way to make other people feel good,’ Chris explained.
Finally, she added that before her dad passed away, their family was able to say goodbye and tell Don how much they loved him, and thank him for everything.
‘Not everyone gets that chance, and we are grateful the universe finally threw him a bone,’ she added.
‘Rest in peace, my beautiful Dad.’
Chris’ husband, Jim Wilson, said on a radio show Tuesday afternoon that it’s been a ‘sad 24 hours’ for the family, but that his father-in-law died ‘peacefully’.
‘For my wife Chris, well, her Dad meant so much to her and she reckons her tomboy traits all stem from watching Don in the workshop in the family home,’ he said.
Jim also shared: ‘It’s a sad time, but also a time to reflect and celebrate a great man who, despite being confronted by a terrible and insidious condition, he made the most of his life and the cruel cards he was dealt.’
