Obituary Gordon Dale 1933 – 2010
The village has been saddened to learn of the sudden death of Gordon Dale, a wellknown member of the Parish Council for some seven years and a genuine pillar of our community.
Born in February 1933, in Sheffield, Gordon joined the Fleet Air Arm as an apprentice engineer as soon as he left school at the age of 16 and was based at
Torpoint in Devon. Before leaving Sheffield, however, he had met and courted a 15year-old schoolgirl, Jean, and the couple married five years later when he was 21. The couple lived in various married quarters for the next nine years during which time their children were born.
At the age of 30, therefore, Gordon decided that the time had come to leave the
Services to start a civilian career and provide a settled life for the children. He moved to Bristol Siddeley as a technical author and they bought their first house. Later the family moved to Warrington when Gordon was appointed as a planning engineer with a company developing equipment for the atomic energy industry, with whom he stayed until his retirement in 1998.
Since coming to live in Sharnford in 1998, Gordon has made a very major contribution to the enhancement of our village life. In 2001 he joined the newly formed Appraisal Group and helped to devise the questionnaire, its subsequent distribution, collection and analysis, and wrote parts of the Report. Passionate about the quality of local life, Gordon was a founder member of the Environment Group and has played an active part in the planning and effort involved in the projects undertaken by the Group over the past eight years, with a particular attachment to the
Blue Bell Green development. He was a keen supporter of another Appraisal outcome, The Sharnford News. Gordon has distributed the News to Brookfield and
Halls Crescent for almost every Issue. In 2003 he became a member of the Parish
Council and played an important role in the many discussions which have led to the development of the new Burial Ground, the monitoring of the drainage systems, the changes to Poors Meadow and so many other issues over the years; and almost throughout his time in Sharnford he has been a volunteer driver for Social Services for
Blaby District Council.
The Evergreen Club and the Hall Committee will also miss Gordon’s help and advice, which they have called upon many times over the years. When property problems arose the Club Secretary, Gordon’s wife Jean, was wont to say, “I’ll go home and ask
Gordon”. Gordon’s response in word and deed resulted in him becoming an honorary member of staff, as the odd-job man. At The Evergreen he will always be remembered as a willing, reliable friend, sharing his expertise and faithfully climbing the ladder twice a year to change the clock.
Gordon, be sure….Sharnford will miss you!