Sam and Michala

How on earth do you try and write and encapsulate how great these two people were?
No dictionary or thesaurus is detailed enough to do either of them justice.
I met Michala and Sam via Becky, Michala's younger sister when we dated and I only knew them for about three years but you couldn't help but immediately love them.
They were welcoming, good natured, intelligent, talkative and - simply - just bloody good fun.
They both had that rare and priceless gift of immediately making you feel at ease - you knew with Michala and Sam that you were in the presence of two fine people from the moment you met them.
Michala made a happy gathering happier, a bright day brighter and was a complete one-off.
What was most admirable was the fact that she drew people to her, people wanted to be in her company and chat to her yet she never had the arrogance to notice it.
There are hundreds of millions of people in the world less intelligent and sharp than Michala but more than happy to try and force their views and their outlooks on you.
However, Michala never thought she was better than anyone, never outlined her repeated superb achievements in all aspects of life and never wore her intelligence like a trophy - it was a fantastic and remarkable trait from a fantastic and remarkable person.
Sam was simply as good a bloke as you could ever wish to meet and someone I am proud to have called a mate.
His love of sport and a pint ensured some (to us anyhow) deeply interesting discussions on bowling medium pace, who should captain England (at anything involving a ball) whether we would kiss Martin Johnson for all his all-round brilliance (a firm yes) and on many occasions at family parties he frogmarched me to the bar to pour booze down my (impoverished and grateful student) neck.
He taught me the beauty of the Flaming Tequila at a 70th birthday party and ignored the strange looks his antics were getting to as he showed off his technique.
Never before or since have near third degree burns been so hilariously acquired.
Only Sam could get drunk, practically commit arson and get away with it all thanks to that grin and that personality.
The glint in his eye and his sheer willingness to engage - with anyone, about anything - mark him out as a true and remarkable character.
I knew the pair of them for but the blink of an eye compared to some of the people who will leave messages on this site but I just had to express what a magical couple they were.

The world can be an extremely unfair place but never more so than know.

Both families have my most very sincere and profound condolences.

Michala and Sam, Rest In Peace.