Filip Herbots has passed away

Filip... the mentor of the Herbots family passed away from us yesterday. With a cigarette as his "last wish", he said goodbye to his children, grandchildren and close family. Consciously, he chose to take the road towards wife Jacqueline and grandson Dries.
Filip was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of today's pigeon business. In fact, he had only one golden rule and that was "work hard". An advice he gave to everyone until his last days. Filip himself was often described as a "jack-of-all-trades". To please his parents, Filip obtained a teacher's degree. After his studies, he taught deaf children in Uccle, but being in front of the classroom was not really his thing. Together with his father-in-law, he fattened pigs, then started a wholesale fruit business and eventually ended up at the secretariat of the Catholic Industrial College Limburg where he became head of department. In 1966, Filip married his great love Jacqueline and they became the proud parents of five children: Jo, Raf, Miet, Tom and Lize. 
Filip had "business" in his fingers and by chance he ended up in the pigeon business in the early 1980s. Day and night he was there for everyone, probably the cornerstone of a successful career. The result of all his hard work is now more than known to everyone in the international pigeon world. 
But besides being a businessman, Filip was above all a pigeon fancier. His respect for his winged friends was enormous and his admiration for real top birds was unprecedented. Anyone who ever had the good fortune to talk to him about pigeons will surely agree. 
Filip...we will always cherish the memories of you as a person. Playful when possible and firm when necessary! The pride with which you spoke about your children and grandchildren is rarely heard and will always adorn you. 
Rest in peace