Peter John Jones “Pete”

“Deep in our hearts you will always stay. Loved and remembered in every way”

Pete sadly passed away at Leighton Hospital on 23rd April 2022 aged 75 years.

The beloved Husband of Irene. Much loved Dad to Jason & Lisa. Also a cherished Grandad, Brother & Friend who will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all who knew him.

His funeral took place on Wednesday 11th May 2022 at Crewe Crematorium Chapel at 12.15pm.

Kind donations are for Cancer Research.

For further information and to offer your condolences, please telephone our Funeral Home on 01270 584447

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Pete was born in Oswestry in 1947 to parents Sydney and Kath, the eldest of 3 children. His brother Alan shared the same birthday. Rather lovingly Pete used to describe his brother as a birthday present!  Susie, his sister, is sadly no longer with us.

Pete continued to have a connection with both Oswestry and his wider family after the move to Crewe in 1950. He kept a very close relationship with his Aunty Elsie and her husband Tom. They would spend summer holidays at their home playing cards for pennies. Uncle Tom always won! Elsie was like a second mum to Pete.

The family moved here thanks to his father’s job as train driver on the Railways. From 1975 onwards Sorbus Drive was the family home.

Pete was happy to make this town his own. Like many others he never learned to drive, never owned a car. He cycled everywhere. He has had contentment in his heart, despite setbacks. He was not one to complain about anything.

It was not very long before Pete was creating his own family around him. Family life was big – very big -for Pete, but first here are some thoughts about his qualities and abilities. You’ll see that the story all fits together.

Let’s talk music. As a youngster he formed a Skiffle group called The Satellites – a great name because that was the era when satellites were a bit of a novelty. Pete had a natural sense of rhythm and a love of music, he was an amazing drummer and would love to practise by hitting the sofa and saucepans even before he had drums!

In his 20’s he formed the band Barracuda – unsurprisingly he was the drummer. His brother Alan was also in Barracuda. They played all over the area, and especially noteworthy is that they played at The Cavern in Liverpool, made famous of course by The Beatles.

It was as part of Barracuda that he performed at the wedding of Graham, who was Irene’s brother. Irene of course was to become Pete’s wife, but the partnership had its beginnings at that wedding reception. Irene would accompany Pete and his band on their many bookings.

After getting married in November 1969, Pete and Irene lived in Shepherd Street – next door to Irene’s mum and dad. These were very happy days and right from the start of their relationship, family was an important factor.

Pete was an artistic person. For example, he went to Art college and subsequently became a Primary School teacher. There are lots of examples of his artistry: the finest painting of miniature model soldiers, to endless sketches of faces and scenes, to larger canvases.

He was also a writer. In later life he wrote plays which would almost certainly have been broadcast – but sadly his contact in the industry died unexpectedly and so he lost the opportunity.

Pete was proud of his appearance – and there is an artistic element there.

Pete was also talented in other ways.  He was knowledgeable about many things.  He was very well read. Sorbus Drive is overflowing with his books and the hand-painted soldiers – which connects with his special interest in Napoleonic history.

Pete was good at Maths.

In all these areas of learning he had an important asset. He seems to have had a sort of photographic memory.

He no doubt drew upon his talents in his working life, cut short by illness. Following time in teaching, he was in Material Control in Rolls Royce, and then in Crewe Works working on engines.

But more important than all the above is family. His love affair with Irene was for life.

He adored her, and her him, pretty well from the time he played at the wedding of Irene’s brother. He would tell Sarah, one of his grandchildren, that she (Irene) was, and had always been, the most beautiful woman in the world. Sarah would ask: How amazing was she on a scale of 1-10? His reply was always “11 definitely 11.”

Pete was a bit of a perfectionist – certainly in his artwork, and certainly in his choice of bride.

Pete would want everyone to know how much Irene meant to him. Theirs was a marriage made in heaven. Their marriage in 1969 models how all marriages should be. The dedication and care they gave to each other through sickness and health is amazing.

But now our hearts go out to Irene who has lost the love her life. But Pete leaves her with over 50 years of love and memories to cherish.

Let’s turn to children and grandchildren. So first there was Jason born 1970, then along came Lisa 10 years later. Grandchildren Gary b 1991, Sarah b 1994, and last but not least Kasey in 2002.  I think that not only was he an outstanding husband, he was an outstanding dad and grandad.  He had quality time for each one of them. Not just encouraging them academically, but through playing outdoor and indoor games. He generously liked to let the kids win!

He would record Countdown to help children and grandchildren with maths.

All of them will have their own special memories. But a special memory, which a few of them share, is the way Pete would pay to have one of them go through his hair and pull out any stray grey hairs.

Jason might have thrown his toys at Pete to wake him up in the morning, but Pete did not throw them back! Lisa might have suffered agonies when he poured Old Spice aftershave on her grazes, but she was quick to forgive him, and she soon learned not to show her wounds to him.

Pete and Irene would take their first grandchild Gary to town every Saturday and buy him a new dinosaur from the Early Learning centre. He now has the full collection and treasures them to this day.

Sarah was the last child to be tasked with finding Pete’s grey hairs, declaring that “If I carry on, then you’ll be a baldy head!”. He was becoming quite silver by then.

Pete loved to watch cricket and was able to watch both son-in-law Mike and granddaughter Kasey play. He always wanted to know how she had got on and what her bowling stats were.

They all might have had to endure watching endless repeats of sitcoms like Cheers or Rising Damp or Man about the House – apparently there is a wardrobe crammed full of VHS tapes at Sorbus Drive – but they all loved his sense of fun, his jokes, his cheerfulness.

Pete’s interest in maths has been passed to Jason his son, who is a Computer Programmer. His artistic interest has passed to Lisa. And so it goes on.

But above all we hope all of them have inherited Pete’s ability to give and share love. We are made to form loving relationships. Love has an eternal quality to it. A million love songs will tell you that.

At Pete’s bedside as he came towards the end of his life, 4 close family members were present. Why? Because they loved him and he loved them. Pete had been in hospital for 6 weeks, and it was a huge and bitter, bitter disappointment when he died on the point of coming home.

But that demonstration of love at his bedside tells us that love is stronger than death, and that in that love those of you who love Pete will see him again.

May he rest in peace.