David Wheatley

“Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts”

David passed away peacefully in the care of Stoke Royal Hospital on the 25th December 2021 aged 74 years.

The beloved husband of Florence. Much loved dad to Richard, Shaun, Ruth & Conn. Cherished grandad & dearest brother.

David’s funeral took place on Thursday 20th January at Crewe Crematorium Chapel at 1.45pm

Kind donations are going to The Christie.

For further information and to offer your condolences, please telephone our Funeral Home on 01270 58444

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David was much loved as a husband, father, grandfather (6 grandchildren), brother, friend. He was known as someone who was strong mentally and physically. He could build walls, fix cars and sort things generally, and could garden with the expertise of a knowledgeable gardener.

He was a born survivor.  At age 5 he had survived pneumonia. Then about 24 years ago he had a stroke which landed him in hospital for a few weeks. Then nearly 8 years ago fell off a roof, picked himself off the ground, despite broken ribs etc, and had to be sedated before he would get in the ambulance. By the way his fall earned him the title “Flying Brickie”. Then he survived prostate cancer. But having suffered with chest complaints for a number of years (in his own words his chest was his ‘Achilles heel’), despite a short and initially successful battle against brain tumours, it was a chest infection that brought him down.

Thankfully he has only been incapacitated these past 3 months. Up till then he was doing construction jobs and driving his car. He was playing football with 8 year old Brandon last summer.

While David was a strong man – a man’s man you might say – he was also a very gentle kindly man. A GENTLE MAN. He was there for those who were vulnerable or needed support in some way. This concern extended to animals. For example, he insisted on protecting nesting birds. He would do things to help another person that probably others might not bother with. And those he helped appreciated what he had done and reciprocated.

So, a bit of life history.  David was born in Crewe, the youngest of  6 children (David’s sister Ann and brother Robert were able to attend but Brenda his sister was too poorly) and lived all his life here.

David’s marriage to Florence brought joy and 4 children into their lives, and the love they had in their hearts for each other has never died. That love is cascaded down to their children – Richard, Shaun, Ruth and  CJ – and to the 6 grandchildren (6 so far!) who all carry forward that love in their hearts plus all sorts of subtle aspects of David in their lives. We have a picture of Brandon when just a tot learning to be a Brickie from his granddad. Grandchildren went with David into the countryside, and learned to share something of his love and appreciation for beautiful scenery. Shortly before becoming poorly David had bought a car needing attention with a view to working on it with grandson Harry and then teaching him to drive. Sadly that learning and encouragement has ended, but it models the sort of granddad David was.

He was talented – especially when it came to “hands on” things. After leaving school he passed with flying colours his City and Guilds examinations. He was so good in fact that he earned an award of which he was most proud. He was soon working for Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council as a Builder (or Brickie if you prefer) though for his last few years before retirement he was working as Environmental Health Officer and then Housing Officer.  Not being a fan of the rain he would have thought, I guess, “How nice to be out of the rain!”

While working for the Council he developed a close friendship with Phil. That friendship extended to working together on a number of building projects following retirement. I guess they exchanged much friendly chat over a few bricks or window frames. Phil has become a close friend of the family, and has been like the younger brother David never had.

In all his work David was a bit of a perfectionist. Being like that can be a bit of a drag, because you are rarely satisfied, but it reflects an attitude of care about what you are doing, and there is artistry and creativity in your work. It’s about standards and doing things right. These are values which transcend us as individuals.

It’s also worth adding that David always turned himself out well. And while his car might have been elderly it was kept in pristine condition. So again a message about standards, about caring for things, and doing things right.

We salute a man of many parts. A man who loved deeply – loved family, loved others, loved animals, appreciated the good things the world offered to him. He understood something of the way nature works, the beauty, the seasons – even the rain, which he detested. Perhaps we can think of the way the miserable rain can nevertheless bring a beautiful rainbow, or the way the gloom of winter is really a  promise of the Spring and Summer. A message there somewhere for us all.

I think David had gratitude in his heart. And gratitude goes hand in hand with contentment. These are the perfect antidotes – or vaccine if you like – against depression.

Bleak though the prospect of life without him may seem to the family, they can revel and exult in the happy memories and the love they had between them. Love has an eternal dimension. Pretty well every love song tells you that.

The love between you and David is still part of you as it is of him. Those who love him will see him again.

Celebrate today what you have learned from David’s life – how you are better people for having known him, been in his company. His children and grandchildren carry within themselves something of David and his qualities, as already noted.

The family want to say that everything David was to them, he still is, and he stays in their hearts forever. They love him to the moon and back.

Special thanks to Christies, for whom donations were invited in his memory.

May he rest in peace.