Chris Paterson

The son of a vicar and missionary, Christopher Everard Conway Paterson (Chris) died on the morning of January 5th 2007 aged 66. A teacher and tutor, he lived in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex with his wife Maggie. A loving husband, father of Mike, Jean, and Tim, step-father to Maggie's children, and grandfather, he passed away suddenly in the early hours.

My Dad was a great man! He never stopped and was constantly on the go. He got up earlier at the weekends so that he could have five lie-ins a week! He had a great number of interests and made many, many friends in every area of his life.

He had been diabetic since he was a young child, but it was easy to forget his illness such was his gregarious attitude to life. I would usually only remember it when he would say that he had to "go and stab myself" - his phrase for the injections he had before every meal that kept him alive. The only thing that diabetes stopped him from doing was flying - so he tried gliding instead!

As a teacher, he was loved by all the children he taught, and he made every subject come to life in an amazing way. In later years, as a tutor he helped children master the subjects that were causing them the most trouble. Word-of-mouth ensured that his tutoring list was always over-subscribed. He leaves many friends at the schools where he taught - especially at Alleyn Court Preparatory School in Southend-On-Sea, and at Brentwood Preparatory School in Brentwood.

As a committed Christian, he devoted several weeks a year, for nearly 50 years of his life, helping to run Christian holiday camps for the Scripture Union and their West Runton Holiday organisation -http://www.westrunton.org.uk/. He also helped to found their Kart Camp - a great holiday that I was luckily enough to be part of for several years. He was also actively involved in his local church, most recently serving as a church warden.

As a young man he played a lot of sport - football, cricket, rugby and hockey and qualified as a football referree. He passed on his love of these sports to all of his pupils, and also tried to convince them that West Ham were the greatest! As a young man he also became interested in motor racing, a hobby that was to eat up most of the rest of his time for the rest of his life.

He was a race marshall from the 1960's until his death, spending time in many different roles circuit, flag, observer, race control, judge - lastly as an RAC Steward. His training skills came in handy as he was responsible for setting up various marshall training programmes. As a youngster he co-drove in some local rally events but as his diabetes prevented him from circuit racing, he started to race in sprints and and hillclimbs in his Austin Nippy. In later years he started to campaign a midget successfully and he even let me drive it round a sprint track before I had passed my driving test. After the midget he bought the beautiful Patrick Head designed Delta FF2200 race car that had been shortened and modified for hillclimbing and sprints. Running an 1100cc methanol-guzzling imp engine, he was very successful winning events and championships as he travelled the length and breadth of the country with Maggie. He even shared the car with me for a year and subsidised most of the costs even though I managed to beat him a couple of times. He was lucky enough to race several different cars and loved to drive the beautiful Lola sportscar that he sometimes shared with Mike Smith.

Dad lived for motorsport. He spent a while as competition secretary for the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC), and after retiring from full-time teaching he was employed at Brands Hatch Racing School.

He was an active member not only of the BRSCC, but also BARC, BMRMC and the 750 MC at various times in his life. He helped to setup the local Rochford Hundred motor club and cheekily encouraged and co-erced the likes of Johnny Herbert and Alan Henry to head down to Rochford to talk to, and be questioned by, a bunch of petrolheads and wannabe racers.

Not content with that, his life-long love of speedway saw him spending time every week for years helping to run speedway events at Rayleigh, Hackney and Arena Essex. He even sampled a speedway bike at one point and loved the experience. He leaves many friends at Arena and Hackney.

You might think that he had no time for his family, and whilst it is true that he was always very busy, he also made sure that we would attend as many events with him as possible. I vividly remember my childhood times playing at Brands Hatch with my brother and sister whilst dad was marshalling. We seemed to spend so many days rolling down the hill at South Bank or Clearways playing in the woods near Dingle Dell, or even looking for the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace. Visits to speedway events at Rayleigh, Rye House, Crayford and Hackney were also a regular thing, as were afternoons spent on the cold windswept terraces at Roots Hall watching the feeble attempts of Southend United - another football team supported by dad.

When he felt he was too old to hillclimb and sprint (or was it just because I had blown up the engine?) he decided to build a Kit Car. Of course he had to modify the car and improve on its original design and eventually completed his Sylva. He regularly contributed to Kit Car magazines and had several articles published. He then established a local kit car club and became reasonably well known in kit car circles and was a regular visitor to kit car shows and events. He leaves a part finished Porsche replica kit for Tim and I to try to finish in his memory - I wonder how many years that will take us?

Dad did more in his life than most people ever do. He excelled at everything he did and never gave less than 100%. His enthusiasm ensured that everybody who knew him would be swept along with him. He was also a great story teller - he had a great way with words and could make the most staid anecdote amusing. He was a humble, gentle and funny man, but had real character and moral fibre. Perhaps he was a little eccentric, but the odd quirk just added to his charm. I am proud to be his son and will miss him greatly. I know that so many people loved him too and the world is a very much sadder place without him.

Rest in peace Dad - we all love you and miss you.

Hope to see you in heaven where I guess you will be marshalling at heaven's Paddock bend, or racing at its own version of Goodwood!


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A Celebration of Dad's Life was held on THURSDAY 18th JANUARY 2007 at:

St. Peters Church
Eastbourne Grove
Southend-On-Sea
Essex
SS0 0QF

It was a great celebration of Dad's life. Many people attended and it was lovely to see you all. Sorry that we were not able to speak to everyone when we returned from the crematorium.

We are also aware that many people set out to attend, but were thwarted by the weather and the ensuing traffic problems. Dad would have been pleased that so many friends attempted to attend his send off. Thank You all.

Thanks also to those that helped to organise the event, to the Church, Barry who played the organ beautifully, Peter and Edna for the readings that were so well delivered,Tanners Funeral Directors who did a superb job, and especially to those that delivered the wonderful celebration service, led by Graham and Christine.

Thanks to Val and her willing helpers who made and served the refreshments, and Margaret and friends who arranged the church flowers.

I am particularly thankful to Mark Nelson-Griffiths, Richard Millard (not Mallard!) and Roy Norris for their beautiful and moving tributes to Dad that were delivered in such an excellent manner and had been constructed with such thoughtfulness.

Of course I cannot forget Lydia's beautiful tribute to her Gramps - how amaxing that such a young girl could retain such composure to read her own tribute to her wonderful Gramps !

Dad rests happily in heaven - He will not be forgotten by those of us down here.

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