John Blamire – Sophie’s Grandad 1952 – 2025 
When Sophie fell ill, John didn’t hesitate to step back from work to be close to home and support his family. His family and especially his grandchildren were his greatest joy. Following Sophie’s passing John never truly recovered, he missed her everyday. John was a man who never let life break him, no matter how hard it tried and instead of shutting down, he found a way to keep going and support his family. He showed us that grief doesn’t mean stopping, it means taking what we have lost and carrying it with us, moving forward with it, rather than away from it.
John threw himself into the charity work of KissyPuppy, becoming the shops unofficial van driver, collecting and delivering stock across the island. When not on the road, he could be found in his shed, repairing donated toys, tinkering with equipment, or searching for the perfect bolt to complete a fix. His favourite job by far was replacing batteries in toys, mainly because it gave him the perfect excuse to play with them first!
It was a mix of mischief, kindness and quiet dedication that made John such a treasured part of KissyPuppy.
John has left a huge hole to fill and we will never get close to filling it, but 6 months on since he left us we have started although very sad in so many ways and exciting in others. We have brought our First KissyPuppy van.
We also have new van drivers Theresa – Sophie’s Nanny and Trisha – Sophie’s Auntie. 
John’s hard work is now done, but his legacy and presence – it’s everywhere! And always will be.
Sophie and Grandad together 2025 