Arthur was a bit like Marmite you either loved him or you didn’t and that was usually because he was straight talking and never suffered fools gladly. The family are so pleased to see so many marmite lovers here today. He had a real mischievous side to his character, enjoyed a bit of banter and would often take the mickey out of family and friends.
Arthur was born in Port Glasgow in Scotland and was proud of his Scottish/Welsh heritage. Once he moved to Wales with his parents, Arthur and Ann, he still had regular trips to see his grandparents’ in Scotland. One of these trips was by train where he was adopted by a group of soldiers who fed him sweets, crisps and pop throughout the journey. Needless to say he was very sick at the other end. Arthur loved village life in Penyffordd and this is where he grew up, with his sisters Gaynor and Diane and his brother Phil.
He moved to Drury, where his sons Nigel and Steve were born, later returning to Penyffordd. Over the years the family has grown to include Daughters in Law Sonia and Michelle and Grandchildren Jess, Jamie, Elliot, Finley and Tegan.
Arthur loved sport, in particular football and cricket.
He played cricket and club level and also for North Wales. He was a very good batsman; however, as a wicket keeper he was fearless and it often looked as if his nose was touching the stumps!
Arthur qualified as a football referee and did so at local and league levels, unfortunately a broken leg meant an end to his very promising refereeing career.
When his boys were old enough to play football, Arthur became one of the first managers at Penyffordd Football Club. He managed the team that included Nigel and Steve through to senior level. Hence his weekends were often spent ferrying an overloaded car full of players to and from matches, six in the back and two in the front!!
Over the years, as a Committee Member and Chairman, he helped make Penyffordd FC one of the best village football clubs in the area.
Arthur was a member of the Royal British Legion Club Committee for over 35 years and for 27 of those he was the General Secretary. He organised and compared the show nights and functions in the club for many years and also enjoyed raising funds for many charities. His attention to detail and his negotiation skills were often put to good use to make cost savings and improve the club environment for the members. He played bowls and was a qualified first aider for most of his life.
Arthur took over as Chairman of the Carnival Committee when it was in decline; he rallied the locals to make it successful and well supported before he handed over responsibility many years later. Coincidently it was on Carnival Day 2017 that he sadly passed away.
Throughout Arthurs life he worked hard to provide for his family often taking on two jobs to make ends meet and Vauxhall Motors, Shotton Steel Works, a coalman and Castle Cement were to name a few. He finally found his perfect job as a Chauffer with Tristar and PCS. This gave him the opportunity to meet many interesting people, to travel the country and provide a first class service. His cars were his pride and joy and were lovingly washed every day. His navigation skills were not always spot on; on a trip to JCB World he missed the turning and got lost, only to be chastised by Jamie who said “Grandad, I thought you were supposed to be a professional chauffer!”
Sharon says that she knew that she would marry her ‘Arnie’ when she first met him but it took a few years to convince him! Arthur and Sharon married in May 1987 and recently celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary with friends and family, which confirms that he made the right decision. This also gave Arthur an extended family, of brother and sister in laws, multiple nephews & nieces, including great ones. He loved them all and they returned the love.
Over the years, Sharon and Arthur have travelled the UK and Ireland on amazing holidays… however it was their holidays around the world that brought them great adventures and wonderful memories: Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Cuba, the Caribbean and the Maldives. What makes this even more amazing is that Arthur was scared of flying!!
He rode an inflatable banana even though he couldn’t swim, snorkelled for the first time in the Indian Ocean and sampled new cuisine after a bit of persuasion, from Sharon.
Arthur and Sharon loved eating out together and entertaining family and friends in their home, many a bottle of port has been consumed with cheese.
Arthur’s love of sport continued throughout his life and if he couldn’t play sport he always had his beloved Sky Sports channels.
Talking TV… Arthurs other great love on the screen was his westerns and John Wayne films, The Quiet Man, Zulu, Rio Bravo and the Magnificent Seven amongst his favourites. Hence the music that accompanied him into Chapel today.
When Arthur was first diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer on New Year’s Eve 2015, it was a shock but he fought throughout his illness. The first fourteen months saw his cancer kept under control but in March of this year it stopped responding to the treatment and things escalated very quickly. Arthur had always wanted to remain at home and his family achieved his wish with the wonderful support of our amazing local palliative care teams. His strength of character and determination, gave him more quality time, spent with his family.
Arthur loved life and battled on till the end, there was even laughter in those darkest days, he is loved and missed by so many.