Kenneth Vickerman

“Always loved and will never be forgotten”

Kenneth passed away at Leighton Hospital on the 20th November aged 96 years.

The beloved Husband of the late Sadie, much loved Dad of Elaine and her partner John, cherished Grandad of Hollie and her partner Chris and Great Grandad to Chloe and Emmie who will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all his family and friends.

Kenneth’s funeral will take place at at Crewe Cemetery Chapel on Tuesday 12th December at 10am followed by his burial.

For further details please call: 01270 584447

For the past 18 months, since losing his wife Sadie after 70 years of
happy married life, there has been a huge hole in Ken’s life. This
despite the fact that to their great credit Ken’s daughter Elaine and
her partner John, and Ken’s granddaughter Hollie and her partner
Chris have given time and all their love to him. We also think of
kind neighbours in Coleridge Way.
Equally, the distractions of gardening and following Crewe Alex
couldn’t fill that hole. He had 120% honoured his promise, made
in their wedding vows 70 years before, to love and care for his wife,
and now she had gone.
But now we all share the hope of reunion for them. Sadie and Ken
are at peace after their long lives together.
Ken has desperately wanted to hold on to his independence as
long as possible. He lived for the most part in his own family home
and only his last few days were spent in hospital, where the staff of
Ward 5 in Leighton did their best to keep him comfortable. We
believe he died peacefully. It is also worth recording that Chris
chose to take on himself the responsibility of accompanying Ken’s
body to the hospital mortuary.
Ken was born in Crewe in 1927, one of 4 sons. So like Sadie he
was a true Crewite. Sadly, only 2 of the lads lived to see their old
age.
He had a happy childhood despite the fact that life would have been
quite drab and tough in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Ken learned quickly
to be careful with money – literally in those days to watch every
penny. That attitude of “waste not, want not” stuck with him –
though it didn’t stop him being very generous to his family
members.
Sadly, we have lost another part of our history and roots. Although
many don’t appreciate it, we live our lives today thanks to the lives
of people like Sadie and Ken who went before us. They link us to
those who worked and lived here.

As a youth Ken must have seen Sadie – even perhaps heard her
sing her special little song “O Danny Boy” in Market or Newdigate
Street – but this was before they got together.
After leaving St Mary’s School he joined the Merchant Navy. One
trip across the Atlantic was sufficient to put him off that idea. He
joined the Crewe works, as did so many of his generation, where he
spent all his working life as a fitter.
Here he acquired a reputation for helping his workmates – not least
through his Union activities, and many would have gratitude in
their hearts. His kindness came out in another way: he gave
himself the job of feeding the feral cats. So, he was very much an
animal lover – a quality he has passed on to his daughter Elaine
and her daughter Hollie.
Going back, romance was about to blossom. She remembered him
standing on Burton’s Corner looking dapper and wearing a rather
fetching tie.
He soon started to take an interest in dancing in the Estoria, where
Sadie used to dance, and so to courtship, a wedding in 1952, a
honeymoon in Blackpool, and family life together – first of all with
Ken’s parents and then on to Sorbus Drive, and to Coleridge Way.
That marriage was made in heaven. It brought them both great joy
and satisfaction.
And so to the next generation – Elaine! She remembers how close
she was as a child to her dad. And now her love for him still
shows!
Then, as the years ticked by, Elaine’s daughter Hollie joined the
family. She too was close to Ken and of course Sadie. She used to
spend a lot of time with them as she was growing up. She would
specifically ask to visit them. Her sense of loss, like other family
members, will be acute.
And so to the next generation, Chloe and Emmie.
This close knit family have all learned about relationships, and
faithfulness, and loyalty and lots of other things from the happy
marriage of Sadie and Ken. That love – that ability to give love, and
receive love – is being cascaded down the generations.
Many things change, but not everything. The importance of love
and faithfulness doesn’t change. Similarly, the value of honesty

and integrity doesn’t change. The importance of good
housekeeping doesn’t change.
And Sadie and Ken had contentment in her heart – they had no wish
to seek out greener pastures -– not hankering after the bright lights
or the next new thing. The importance of contentment with life is
another esteemed quality. If you have contentment in your heart,
you will probably also have a sense of gratitude – gratitude to
others, gratitude to God. Then you are blessed indeed, and you
have an urge to share blessings with others.
After the chapel service in the Crematorium Ken was laid to rest in
the family grave with Sadie. They now rest in the company of those
who have gone before them, in the peace of God’s love which holds
them safe for all time, and the love which embraces us all.