Carpe Diem. "Seize the day!" The Hilton family welcomes you today, the 22nd October 2023 to celebrate a life well lived by Arthur Leonard Hilton, an extraordinarily lucky gentleman and the paramount Chief of our Family.   To set the scene, we have entitled this homage, Carpe Diem as this encapsulates his deep desire to leave no stone unturned and no dream or aspiration unfulfilled. The below picture is taken from a motif on his kitchen wall which greeted his every morning as he swooped into his kitchen every morning for a quick coffee, a bowl of porridge and a scan of his busy diary.   A potted history of his early life    Dad, at the age of 79 decided to write a Life History, so future generations could both remember him and also (I think) appreciate his achievements. He was born in 1927, so he lived 96 very good years,  all of which were spent in good health. He often used to muse as to his longevity and always laughed at the suggestion that perhaps it was because, for years he had smoked a pipe. He was British and extremely fond of his homeland and the North of England in general. He was born on 2nd February 1927 in the pretty village of Ainsdale in Lancashire. The house was situated in a largely rural area and had been built by his parents who named in Larkland, due to the number of larks that flitted through that area. Pinfold lane was paved with cobble stones and on either side arable fields grew peas, cabbage, turnips and wheat. There were pig and chicken farms dotted along the length and at the far end a wooded stand and the beach with rolling sand dunes. It sounds idyllic.    He described his youth and a delightful mix of sleeping late, eating voraciously and generally lolling about. This was all children should do, was his position on childhood,. His grandparents used to live in the same house and this was a somewhat standard situation in his era. He had always thought something similar would happened to him in his latter years. The large kitchen, with an open fireplace, was the hub of the household, with family and friends always gathering there. He, and his sister June, who he adored, attended a private primary school in the Village, it was there he met his best friend Donald Jackson (Jammie). They were to remain lifelong friends.   Dads teenage years were spend in a Grammar School about 7kms from Ainsdale and towards 1939 they were dominated but the realisation that he would almost certainly would join the Armed Forces. The prospect for him was extremely exciting, I think with the absence of the graphic images of War that we have today, the Government at the time was probably very able to romanticise the perils. Dad wanted to join the Fleet Air Arm, which was regarded as a creme de la creme version of the Royal Air Force. He realised his dream on the 26th March 1945, two months after his 18th Birthday. He wanted to be a pilot, but had to start as Navigator, as he was good at Maths.   He started service as an Officer posted to India and waxes lyrical about being taught appropriate etiquette and gentility as he dined in the Officers Mess. I think he really enjoyed all the larrikin fun associated with life in the Army, as an Officer at that time. Further stints in the Forces ensued in Palestine Ireland and Egypt. He applied for and was accepted to join the Paratroops.   When he was demobilised, with the rank of Lieutenant he had a “hairy tweed suit and a cheque for 20 pounds" to his name. He spent the 20 pounds on a Raleigh bicycle. With that huge amount of experience of life, he was only 21 years old. A fact that always astonished him.   University and Marriage   After the war he was accepted into both Dublin University and the University of Wales and chose the latter, majoring in Chemistry. He gained his University “Colours” representing them in Rowing (in the eights, I think). Again, I think he had very fond memories of his time in Wales, leaving the University with an honours degree. It was during this time that he met our Mum. They married after he was recruited by Esso (an oil company) and lived in a village in Hampshire. Their first vehicle was a motorised tandem bicycle and they loved to traverse the leafy lanes of Hampshire with the wind running through their hair. Again, frankly, its sounds an absolutely idyllic lifestyle.   Travel to New Zealand   Against this backdrop his parents were consistently asking him (and our Mum) to join them in New Zealand, which they somewhat reluctantly (understandably) finally acquiesced to do and travelled by boat, a journey that took three months!    Dad joined the DSIR to work on the Wairaiki Geothermal Project near Taupo. At that time Taupo consisted of two tar sealed roads and two Hotels. Milk was delivered in bulk and decanted into a billy clan you would leave at the gate, there was no fridge and drinking water came from the Lake. It was there that Peter was born. Dad fished all of the beautiful streams in that area and sometimes dined on the rabbits that were prolific.    Dad, I think, found the DSIR a little boring and looked for a job back in the Oil industry and found a position in Melbourne Australia. It was there that Jane was born. In 1963 he applied for a position the build New Zealand's Oil Refinery in Whangarei, Northland. Dad found that construction and start up absolutely exhilarating and I think the outdoor lifestyle in Northland suited his personality. The Family’s expatriate lifestyle also began in earnest with periods of time spent in the UK and the Netherlands.   Retirement from Work   In 1985 dad retired from the NZRC (Refining Company) and enjoyed a lifelong pension, that facilitated his globetrotting life-style. He enjoyed walking and bird watching. He carved wood, read voraciously, especially on Astronomy. Many of these activities were carefully selected to aid his physical and mental health. In that regard I feel he was uniquely (for that time) interested in ensuring he aided a long and able lifestyle, and at age 96, without a doubt, he has been exceptionally successful at this endeavour.   In 2005 our Mum, sadly died. Dad had looked after her tirelessly for years. He writes of her “she was the Goddess who had danced into my life all those many years ago and was gone, my life changed forever. She was truly the light of my life…”   Thereafter, Dad had something of an epiphany and, if his life to that point had not been adventurous and exciting enough, he started to travel extensively all over the world and often to the least likely locations. In particular he highly recommended Iran and was thrilled to re-visit India after all those years. He made it his goal to exhaust every single penny he owned on travel and enjoying his heart's desires. "Carpe Diem” became an all-consuming task. Having said that, he had settled here in Devonport and it suited him perfectly. He loved coming home to their small house, the village atmosphere, the wonderful neighbours and friends and the proximity to family, as we were all living here, within walking distance of each other.    Following Mums death, dad met Maureen and knew he had been very lucky to do so. Maureen and dad looked after each other and enjoyed an itinerant lifestyle of many Overseas and local adventures together.    Conclusion and advice   So, family and friends, in conclusion, as we write this synopsis of 96 years, frankly it’s hard to do the Man justice. Dad was a pillar of strength. He was tremendously lucky in life and enjoyed it to the fullest. He enjoyed good health and had all of his hopes and dreams fulfilled and he knew it. He loved life as he loved his family.   His final wishes were that upon he departure from this mortal plane we have a fabulous party and enjoy ourselves, that we take heed of his successes in life and, most importantly, we make each and every day count.