Alissa will walk in memory of dad Peter, who cherished every moment with his family

WHEN Alissa Galbraith participated in last year’s Aberdeen Memory Walk in remembrance of her dad, it was only natural that her four kids walked with her.

Her dad, Peter Berekis, was a big family man who loved children.

“They seemed to flock to him and the most important thing to him was his kids,” said Alissa.

“I’m glad he met his grandchildren.

“He was the life and soul of the party and had a great sense of humour.”

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Peter’s passing. He died just a couple of weeks before his 77th birthday.

Alissa’s mum, Marion, has a nursing background and spotted the signs first.

“He was becoming forgetful, so we went to the doctor straight away,” said Alissa.

“We received a really early diagnosis and he was put on treatment quite quickly, which prolonged the time we had with him.

“He didn’t dwell on it and became quite calm, although there were times of frustration as it progressed.

“I remember one occasion where he went to make a cup of tea and he came back with the cup and teabag and asked what to do with them.

“He knew my children but forgot who I was. I was lucky, in a sense, because he thought I was a friend of the family, so he was never worried that there was a stranger in the house.”

School technician Alissa lives in Aberdeen while her parents were in Paisley, but she travelled down as often as she could because she wanted her kids – 12-year-old twins Emma and Sam, Amber, 10, and seven-year-old Max – to spend as much time as possible with their grandpa.

Marion was her husband’s full-time carer until just a few months before the painter and decorator passed away from pneumonia.

“Mum found Alzheimer Scotland to be a great support,” added Alissa. “Dad went to a day centre a couple of mornings a week, which was a great help, and he really enjoyed it.”

That’s one of the reasons Alissa, her four kids and the family dog, Coupar, took part in the Memory Walk in Aberdeen last year.

“I expected it to be more sombre than what it was,” she added.

“It was an emotional day but there were still lots of smiles and friendly people. It was really nice to see who everyone was walking for.

“There were so many positives to be taken from the day.”