Here's what I had to say at my father's 70^th birthday:

The Heaths have always been people who think their own thoughts and resist conformance to inferior popular conceptions of things. This independence of thought varies in manner and degree of expression, and it's fair to say that most of us are more forthright than Dad. Perhaps this is because Dad is the product of a great clash of two such families from very different cultural backgrounds. Dad's own determined avoidance of contention has driven him inwards to a deeper and ever more insightful view of human realities. Outwardly, Dad has always rejected the kind of sham personas that many more loquacious folk create - he is completely true to himself - and this leadership by example has transferred this character to the next generation. In summary, I'm thankful to have had such a model of unerring rationality and personal integrity to follow.