“It is with great
sadness that we report the death of Pam Parkinson, who
passed away peacefully on 19th
February. Pam, a Vice President of the club, began her
involvement with the club in the early 1980’s initially
on a social basis when Dave was still playing and
quickly became a keen supporter of the club, even though
she was less keen on Dave playing! In those days she
bore the heavy responsibility of ensuring that Dave got
home safely on a Saturday night, not only that but that
he was suitably fed! A fact he used to check up on a
Sunday morning by checking the take away papers in the
pedal bin!
Ironically as Dave’s
playing career came to an end so Pam’s involvement with
the Club began to grow as she took on the role of
Treasurer after a couple of seasons. It has to be said
that this was no easy task, primarily as funds were
scarce and creditors were impatient! But she juggled the
numbers with great skill and dexterity and her strength
of character and single minded approach saw us through
this very difficult period. Having hung up his boots
Dave had now moved into the secretarial role and we
enjoyed a number of years of a husband and wife
combination on the committee. In may ways this was a
blessing for the chairman as many a Dave Parkinson
prologue on constitutional or other matters was cut
short by a sharp riposte from Pam in only a way that a
wife could! It always used to draw a wry smile from
Dave. But the club and the committee was better and
stronger for their presence both officially and
socially.
As we started to venture
off to the away internationals Dave fell in love with
Dublin and it wasn’t long before Pam used to join him
for those great weekends. Apart from the social side Pam
used to love browsing the traditional Irish craft shops
and on match days she would be found watching the game
on television sitting in front of a warm fire sharing a
bottle of gin with my mother before joining us for the
evening festivities!
Ironically it was on one
of those trips that the illness that was to strike her
so cruelly first became apparent. Nobody could have
guessed it’s seriousness and severity and the following
years she met with great fortitude and strength of
character and it was undoubtedly that inner strength and
stubbornness that saw her through and enabled her
eventually to return to a semblance of normal life. Gone
were the annual trips to Minorca which they both used to
enjoy so much, but thankfully they were able to replace
them with regular trips to Maurice’s apartment in
Southern Spain where they able to enjoy some quality
time. Quality time which at one stage in their lives
looked like it was going to be denied them.
Pam continued to face
her ill health with remarkable courage with Dave as her
rock of support. When Dave was also struck by serious
medical problems which were so cruelly to cut him down
immaturely Pam was left with a huge void in her life
which was always going to be impossible to fill and
eventually and tragically her illness got the better of
her.
And so it draws to an end a family involvement with the
club going back over 25 years. In an era devoid of
characters we have lost a great one in Pam and our
deepest sympathies go out to her Father, brother, sister
in law and family. We mourn Pam’s passing but we shall
remember her always with great affection.
It is with the deepest regret that the Club announces
the death of David Parkinson on the 10th
November after a short illness. Dave was a member of the
Club from it’s very early days, briefly as a player and
subsequently as an administrator and committed Vice
President. But he was more than just a member. He was
the very epitome of a rugby club man – heart and soul –
his heart was in the Club and the Club was in his soul.
A man of great presence, he provided the backbone of the
Club for so many years. His skills and knowledge as a
club secretary stood him apart and made him a daunting
act to follow. In all he served the club for 14 years in
this capacity and for over 20 years administered our
International ticket allocation with military style
efficiency. Our Saturday afternoons will simply not be
the same. His equal concerns for the Club’s success and
the fate of his beloved Manchester City made those few
after match pints both interesting and enjoyable. We
shall miss them.
His long and illustrious rugby pedigree included
Manchester YMCA, Sale and representative honours with
Cheshire. No mean achievement considering he was
operating in the darkest recesses of the front row.
Those great skills were never more evident than in his
spell with SWF where he was able to operate as loose or
tight head depending on the scrum feed! Eventually his
chronic back problem got the better of him and he
reluctantly retired from the game he graced for so many
years. Always one to want to put something back into the
game he spent the next few years refereeing. Being a
member of the front row union he also developed a
refereeing style of his own and long term mauls became a
regular feature of his games! Whilst rugby was his chief
sporting passion Dave also played football in his
younger days and was also a keen cricketer. Indeed he
played for SWF Cricket Club when he first moved to the
area. He was an uncompromising batsman, which was no
surprise, and never one to be chasing the ball around
the field he would find himself stationed in the slip
cordon where his catching technique of allowing the ball
to hit his ample chest before wrapping his hands around
it proved most effective, if a little unorthodox!! Not
many however went to ground!
But his talents went way beyond sport. His thirst for
knowledge was never fully quenched and his intellect and
all round general knowledge made him an extraordinary
quiz contestant - quite without equal amongst those who
experienced this phenomenon. He possessed a mental
agility to tackle the most challenging of crosswords
culminating in his participation a few years ago in the
UK Times Crossword Championship in London where he
finished a highly creditable 11th. He was also a member
of the successful South Woodham Ferrers male voice choir
and we all have fond memories of the many sing songs in
the rugby club over a few beers. He seemed to know the
words to every song. And those of us who were lucky
enough to witness it will never forget his contribution
to an impromptu rendering of Christmas Carols one year
that would have graced many a concert hall!
Never was he more content than in his favourite city of
Paris for a rugby weekend seated in La Cochonnaille
restaurant faced with a bowl of their excellent French
Onion Soup and a glass of fine claret. If contentment
could be summed up in one facial expression that was it.
Our great Club would not be the force it is now without
Dave’s guiding hand, steady influence and authoritative
demeanour, especially in those early and crucial
formative years. And he had a wonderful knack of
bridging generations.
His catchphrase “it’s not in the constitution” is
legendary and will ring many a bell with those who
served with him on committees. But they became the
bywords for the very way in which the business of the
club should be conducted. Even when his health started
to fade he would still watch the club at every
opportunity, his interest in it’s success never
wavering.
It will simply never be the same place without him. Our
sympathies and condolences at this time are with Pam”
