Nick Weaver 1946-2015
Donnigton Castle Chapter No.856
Nicholas James Weaver (Nick) was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire on 20th December 1946, to Alan and Patricia. At seven months old he won first prize in the beautiful baby competition at Stroud Show.
Nick has a sister Janis.
Nick attended Uplands Primary School where he passed his eleven plus and then attended Marling Grammar School for boys, where one year he was runner up in the Gloucestershire School Boys Chess Championships.
Nick got up to a few pranks at school, one of which was referred to in a book of the 100 year history of Marling School. The school was founded by the Marling family and the fourth baronet Sir John Marling was to make a presentation speech at a farewell dinner in 1971 to the retiring headmaster L. E. Godfrey-Jones. Knowing that it is the natural desire of every schoolboy to score a point over his master, particularly his Headmaster and, having heard rumours of minor successes he went to much trouble to find out details of other amusing incidents. Towards the close of his speech he produced a box wrapped in gift paper, which when opened revealed a lavatory chain. For he had discovered that prior to the final assembly at the end of a school year one young culprit (who was never identified) had unhooked several of the chains and placed them in the grand piano. The first few cords of the opening hymn betrayed their presence. Nick always claimed there were at least two other boys involved in the prank!!!!
Nick's dancing! His mother would give him two shillings each week to go to ballroom dancing lessons, but he instead would go to the local snooker hall with the money. Consequently he was brilliant at snooker but not so good at dancing.
In 1964 he undertook a four and a half year General Engineering Apprenticeship with Newman Hender, Woodchester in Gloucestershire who were manufactures of industrial valves for the oil and petrochemical industry and where, in 1965, he met Jen. After he finished his apprenticeship he worked for B. W. Johnson in Nailworth. In 1971 Nick and Jen were married at St. Lawrence Church in Stroud. Nick then returned to Newman Hender as a service engineer working all over the U.K., together with trips to Europe, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and the North Sea.
Nick and Jen's darling daughter Katrina was born in 1973. In 1977 they moved to Ormskirk in Lancashire where Nick became a Sales Engineer for Newman Hattersley and in 1979 returned south to Thatcham, eventually settling in Woolton Hill in 1982. Nick continued as a Sales Engineer and very much enjoyed the social side of his job. In about 2005 he semi-retired and worked at Kennet School as a Technician before fully retiring in 2011.
Nick's sporting interests included, snooker, golf, football, rugby and cricket. In his younger days he was a keen motorcyclist, even at one time owning a BSA Gold Star. Unfortunately shortly after acquiring it he crashed it into the back of a Renault. This was at the time when the engine was situated in the back of the car, and Nick has hated French cars ever since. In his younger years Nick played squash and once hit the ball so hard during a game he rendered a spectator unconscious. He was also an avid reader. Over the years he played crib at the Swan at Thatcham, and Dominoes at the Coopers in Woolton Hill. He also had a keen interest in the history of the Titanic. He valued his many friends. Nick was a proud Freemason for many years and also a keen follower of rugby both locally, nationally and internationally. All of which later.
In 2010 Nick and Jen's adored granddaughter Joanne was born, whom he idolised and gave her the pet name Jem Jem. Last summer Nick and Joanne spent many a happy time in the garden, shelling peas and watering the plants. Nick was very good at making up pet names and nicknames sometimes quite irreverent. Even calling Katrina's best friend" Imelda" after the naughty school girl in Grange Hill and that name has stuck with Annette until this day. Katrina recalls that when Nick would collect her and her friends from their evenings out, he would arrive in his carpet slippers and wait out side just to embarrass her.
After their retirement Jen and Nick enjoyed some lovely holidays leaving many happy memories for Jen.
After Nick passed awayon 25th january 2015, Jen found the following quote from Peter Pan on his desk. "Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting."
Nick was a very special Husband, Dad and Granddad and father-in-law and will be sadly missed"
Given by E&P Bro David Reeves