Dennis Blain

“Loving you always, forgetting you never”

Dennis passed away peacefully in the care of Leighton Hospital on 11th April aged 87 years.  The beloved husband of Pat.  Much loved dad to Tracey, Sally, Tim, John and David, also a cherished grandad and brother who will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by all his family and friends.  Dennis’s funeral will take place at Crewe Crematorium Chapel on Monday 29th April at 1.45pm.

Donations in memory of Dennis can be made for The British Legion.

For further enquiries please call 01270 584447

Dennis fondly known as Den was very well respected, not only by those who had the
privilege of working with him during his lifelong career but by his incredibly proud
family.
Pat and the family are keen to celebrate a life spanning eighty-seven years. As they
recall their precious memories, they feel blessed to have walked part of life’s journey
with the love and support of such a wonderful man. He was stoic, remarkable,
selfless and protective to the end.
Described as a gentle giant with a great sense of humour, he often had a twinkle in
his eye, and you knew when he was about to tell one of his many jokes. He
exhibited remarkable diligence and conscientiousness, approaching every task with
unwavering commitment and meticulous attention to detail. He possessed a wealth
of knowledge and offered invaluable advice. So many tributes have mentioned what
a lovely, lovely man he was.
Pat and Dennis have enjoyed a long and happy life together as a devoted couple in
a relationship built on love, trust, respect and true friendship. Two halves to the
perfect whole, they laid solid foundations for a fulfilling family life, remaining
steadfast in their lasting vows.
Dennis was an amazing dad, and father-in-law to Steve, Sean, Vicky, John’s partner
Michelle and Dave’s partner Gail. He was a doting grandad to Becky, Brad, Beth,
Reece, Nicole, Liam, Amber, Bailey, Cobie, Adele, Lily and Damaris and to his one
great grandchild Archer, with another one on the way.
A dear brother to Mary and the late Raymond, he was the cornerstone of Pat’s side
of the family, providing unwavering support and stability to Pam and the late Pauline.
He was an uncle and good friend to many including John Taylor, Alan Cooper who
wrote his own moving tribute and his friend from the 1950’s John Davies who also
shared his memories.
Dennis entered the world on January 4th, 1937, in Lower Withington, much loved by
his parents Frank and Betha. At the tender age of two, he relocated to Goostrey,
where he lived with his Granny Martha and Grandad James, as his dad was serving
in the Coldstream Guards and there was a worrying period when Frank was reported
missing. Fortunately, he was found alive, albeit in hospital, recovering from a
gunshot wound and Dennis was reunited with his mum and dad again at the age of
five.
Blessed with a contented childhood, Dennis later shared cherished memories with
his own children, taking them to the places where he grew up. Showing them the
local fields where he once picked potatoes and reminisced about his newspaper
round and the cycling routes he took.
At fourteen, Dennis started his chose career at Crewe Works but four years later, he
was called up for national service and posted to Germany, where he voluntarily
extended his service for an additional year. He often reminisced about his time
there, proudly claiming to have been stationed at the same time as Elvis Presley,
even catching a glimpse of the iconic singer from a distance although that may have

been a tale he told because Pat and the girls all loved Elvis. In 1958, Dennis left the
army and returned to his former position on the railway.
Dennis was enjoying his job and I believe he was single for a number of years until
he met the love of his life Pat. A hairdresser Gorton but living in Denton, Greater
Manchester, Pat was often invited to her employer’s holiday retreat in Goostrey.
On the way home they sometimes stopped at a local pub called the Whipping
Stocks. Coincidentally, Dennis had been to the races with his friend Johnny Lawton,
the proprietor of the Crown Inn and they had also called in the Whipping Stocks for a
drink.
After Johnny introduced Pat to Dennis, she agreed to meet up the following week but
couldn’t make it so taking a chance she went a week later and luckily, Dennis was
there. Over the next twelve months, they travelled by train or car to spend precious
time together.
They married in Manchester and initially stayed with Dennis's parents until they
managed to get their own home on a residential park in Goostrey.
During his routine train journeys from home to Crewe, Dennis noticed the new
housing development and keen to secure a house there, they made the decision to
put a deposit on a property, which turned out to be their forever home on Birch
Avenue.
By the time they moved in, Tracey was a toddler and Sally was just a baby. Pat
smiled as she told me they had started off with very little but built a lovely home full
of much-loved children. Tim came along then after a seven-year gap, the twins took
everyone by surprise.
Dennis frequently travelled to London for work, often staying there from Monday to
Friday so holidays were very special to the whole family, especially during the early
years spent at Port Madoc. When Dennis had a good year, they would treat
themselves to Butlins, often accompanied by Pauline, Mike, and their family, and
occasionally the neighbours, I say ‘neighbours’ but they had become very good
friends over the years.
The kids could never understand why when they got to Friday, Dennis used to say
“the weather’s going to be bad tomorrow, we may as well go home today” it dawned
on them as they got older that he didn’t want to miss playing snooker with his pals on
Friday nights! Although he couldn’t nip home so easily when he and Pat first went to
Benidorm with the twins.
Following retirement, Dennis and Pat embarked on some amazing journeys,
orchestrated by their very own travel expert, John, who will share more details later.
Their retirement was filled with adventures across the globe with a group of friends,
indulging in luxurious villa stays although he never made full use of the lovely
swimming pools. Dennis was never keen on water, but he did have swimming
lessons when he was working in Preston – never mastered it though!

He and Pat also enjoyed years of first-class train travel, even when the children were
young, though the kids were relegated to economy while Pat and Dennis enjoyed
first class and Dennis devoured his full English breakfast in the buffet car.
Dennis liked simple, hearty meals, preferring good, plain, and wholesome food. This
preference remained steadfast even during his three-month stint in Hong Kong with
John, where his nightly meal typically consisted of steak or perhaps onion soup.
Despite being in a culinary hub like Hong Kong, Dennis remained steadfast in his
reluctance to indulge in Chinese cuisine. This aversion may have stemmed from
their initial experience upon arrival, when, starving hungry, they were greeted with a
selection of chicken feet appetizers at the bar.
To be fair he did occasionally try food in other countries, but I smiled as John told me
no matter where they were in the world, everyone would be getting their cereals and
toast whilst Dennis had gone missing and would be having a fry up in the nearest
café! Tracey and Sally can remember how he always looked forward to stopping at
a Little Chef on the way to or back from hols when they were younger.
He also travelled all over to play snooker, Walsall, Birmingham, Crewe, Carlisle. He
was keen on all sports and loved to have a kick around with the grandchildren until
his mobility got less over the years. That said, he loved to watch them play, he was
also keen to wave bye bye at the end of a hectic visit!
Throughout his life, Dennis remained an enthusiastic gardener, dedicating hours to
his beloved hobby until his body could no longer keep up with his eager mind.
Despite physical limitations, he found solace in his shed, where his activities
remained a mystery to others. One thing was certain, though – he would likely be
enjoying a crafty fag!
Dennis enjoyed armchair cricket, often watching the action on TV with the volume
lowered. His much-preferred radio commentary, which he found more engaging and
immersive and there was a radio in every room in the house!
He was also an avid reader, boasting a well-stocked library filled with all genres and
especially books on railways, military history, and thrillers, with many written by
Stephen Leather.
A wonderful man, who created a library full of cherished memories.