Leslie Preston, b 29 Dec 1928 - dec 14 Jan 2009

16/01/2009 by Russell.

Eulogy to my father: ‘Keep Doin’ 

Incredible as it seems – it has been exactly 45 years and two months since an address to a nation by an incoming President was made stating the immortal line

“All I have,  I would have given gladly,  not to be standing here today”

How poignant that such words ring true about my Dad and latterly Grandad.

This is a celebration of a life, which has had many ups and downs, and I would like to take the opportunity to share some of those moments with you.

Leslie, was one of 7 brothers and 1 sister living at
Brockwell Lane, Chesterfield, where I too lived for the first year of my life. He was the last, his eldest brother was 25 when he was born, so little in common with his siblings.

When he was young, my Dad left school at 14 and worked in the repair shop at Robinsons, fixing the dials and gauges from shot down aircraft, when the war was over, Robinsons wanted him to move to London. He was already a charge hand supervising other workers at such a young age.

My dad was steadfast in his desire to be a joiner, so whilst at Robinsons he went to nightschool to learn how to be a craftsman. He started working for one of his brothers building caravans I think and so he moved into joinery.

He never did his National service – claiming that the his draft notice went up in smoke in Nottingham, well being a joiner he had plenty of kindle.

He started working for Adlingtons of Wingerworth, where he used to cycle from Brockwell Lane to Clay Cross – about 8 miles He married my mother – in 1951 – she wasn’t allowed to get married until she was 21

When I was born my mother was moved to Sheffield hospital and my father would cycle to the station and get a train tovisit my mum and me, this shows his level of thoughtfulness and devotion to his family.

We moved to Wingerworth in 1960, the first plot on the estate, and he still cycled to work.

But one thing I noticed about my dad he loved to get washed and changed as he called it and put on a suit and tie for the sheer pleasure of looking smart and well presented, The shopping trips I have been dragged on - round Sheffield come to mind, to kit him out.

My dad didn’t acquire his driving licence until 1969, where he enjoyed the delights of motoring for the first time.  Football was my life after my dad got me playing, loved and still do, so did my Dad -Most of his hours behind the wheel was ferrying us to matches or wannabe footballers from Tupton Hall to places around town or home without a word of complaint, and that could be said also for Keith Norman who is here today. That was his nature to ‘keep doin’ and never complain.

He was a family man, a gardener, a mr fixit, a humble man who would enjoy the fruits of his hard labour.

As he matured badminton became a love of his, he’d play up at hunloke and Calver, a game he enjoyed with Brian Davis, terry Wilmot and of course the late Brian Young, all people who enjoyed the game with my father, all of whom are here today paying respect to my father, and I thank you for asking him to join you.

He was never loud or brash, just a quiet man in the wings, but once he knew you he was always ready to laugh along, many times at home with relatives, notably auntie Hilda, he had such joy

Then his world collapsed on Christmas Day 1995, my mother died quite suddenly, he was beside himself in grief, my mother was a rock for him, she was everything, but he never winced about it, he just ‘kept doin’ when we spoke. But he found solace in people like ruby and george, and of course his second life began with the meeting up with Brenda, his fiancée and partner and rock through later years.

My dad never said much, but his life changed from setting up with Brenda, he was out in the hills of Derbyshire rekindling his youth where he had walked with my mum in their courting days. He loved it. Brenda gave him this new life and he wanted to get out in the hills, sometimes he’s go off on his own.

Then 2002, on a walking holiday, his life would never really be the same, neither would Brenda’s, he was rushed to the hospital in Palma in Majorca and diagnosed with bowel cancer.  All new territory for him. He was strong and healthly bar for this. He dealt with it in his own determined way, and Brenda’s support and encouragement, began to get better, and he was struck with cancer of the liver. Onwards and upwards was his belief, to get out on holiday and walking again.

Unfortunately for him the clock was ticking, but without Brenda’s fortitude and sometimes carrying my Dad forward, we may have been here today some years earlier. My father was so dependent on Brenda, that I he wouldn’t do anything without asking, “what’s Bren say” would be his response. He had found his soul mate.

Always cheerful with the children, no separation, they were all his grandchildren of which he was proud. He was a man of few words, but we did have two conversations in our lives which stuck in my mind I would like to share with you.

He said, “Russell, what an amazing life, I think I have lived in the best possible time, when I grew up, there was only  a horse and cart, cars were rare, we listened to the radio, now in my lifetime I have seen colour television, a man on the moon, I have lived through no world wars, I have travelled to different palces, computers in the home things which I couldn’t imagine as a child, fantastic he said.

The other was the other day, I asked if he was disappointed that I didn’t play professional football? Something he new I always wanted to do, and so I had to reconcile this with him and my disappointment was his disappointment too for me, He said son, I am very proud of you and your education and what you have done, I didn’t want you to play professionally, you see a man of few words who took until now to say I hadn’t disappointed. I have carried that with me for years, So I guess what I have learnt, is tell your children now before it gets too late and that will go a long way.

And many thanks to those who have shared my fathers and my life up here, I don’t know if we will all see each other again.

Before coming to the end of my fathers life, I would like to read out a prayer which the recently deceased old war veteran chief petty officer Bill Stone would recount

It typifies my fathers optimism in life

Lord keep us safe this night

Secure from all our fears

And may angels guards us while we sleep, till morning light appears

That’s his motto – ‘keep doin’, the angels are looking after you now Dad

Leslie Preston, father, grandfather and Uncle, Rest in Peace.

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