"Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance." J. Donald Walters

Today marks the end of an emotional time for many of us here in the UK and around the word as we mourn the passing of our Queen, after 70 years of service as our Monarch. The Queen symbolised many good things about dedication, service and dignity to her countrymen and as the Head of State in other countries around the world. She was a huge influence in many peoples lives and she brought joy to many. To others she felt like a close relative and much love was shown to her as has been seen on our TV screens over the last 10 days of national mourning. Service to her country and beyond was pivotal in her life. As Her Majesty said when just 21 "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." A promise she stuck to for the rest of her life.

At a personal level I lost my uncle last weekend, having already losing my Aunt, his wife, earlier in June. At 96 years old he had had a good innings and he left a legacy that many will have benefited from. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Thomas Jayasuriya was married to my mother’s sister, Helen. She caused quite a stir in post war Britain by marrying a man of colour in the 1950’s which at the time was considered a very difficult decision with racism and ostracization rife but she married for love and refused to listen to those who said it would never last. 70+ years together says the naysayers were wrong!

Thomas Jayasuriya was a lawyer by training having been called to the Bar in London and eventually running his own practise back home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. He was the High Commissioner for Malaysia in Canada for many years and served his country as State Attorney General prior to that. At all times he was a man of words, and those words were wise and thoughtful. As a twenty something in the 1980’s I had the pleasure in spending some 6 months in Borneo living with my aunt and uncle and spent many evenings listening to his experience and to his advice. He never imposed his views, as he was keen that I developed my own voice and have my own views on things from politics to protecting the environment. He had a deep sense of duty to his country and watched at times with concerns whilst it went through various political cycles but, at all times, he kept his integrity and his dignity. His quiet reserved manner was a demeanour that I never quite adopted to be honest, but his values were. He believed in family passionately and his generosity to the wider family was noteworthy as was the love and support he gave to his community. My aunt supported him in many projects although she also did her own charity work especially with Inner Wheel and was recognised by the local government on her passing as someone who supported women in a society that was yet to embrace full equality. As a couple they were quite a dynamo in Sabah in the 20th Century.

When the older generation pass, we hope that they leave great memories with us of their time and I think we can say that the Queen has left a huge mark on many people’s lives, and we hope and pray that His Majesty King Charles III will have a notable reign as his mother did. My uncle and my aunt too have left us great memories and they will be terribly missed by my cousins Richard, Cath and Helena, their children and cousins as well as my siblings but their legacy is there for all to see and we are proud to call them family. We all hope that we leave positive memories for everyone that we come across and that our lives have been notable for the strong commitment to our families and our communities. I know Her Majesty and my Aunt and Uncle did just that. Thank you.