William James Vale

This page was created by Laura Vale for her beloved paternal Grandfather. The following Eulogy was
written by her Dad Chris & was given by him at William's funeral. There are a few small
additions to make it more applicable to the page.

William James Vale was born in London on 23rd June 1921 in East Dulwich. His early life was spent
with his parents and sister Violet in Lewisham.

He was only 17 years old when his Father died and he had to assume the position as the main provider
for his family. He worked in the City of London until being called up for national service in 1941.
Dad joined the Royal Artillery Regiment and was attached to ack ack anti-aircraft battery’s
defending London and the South of England from German bombers during the blitz.

One of the most significant missions Dad undertook in the war was the defence of Canterbury
Cathedral. His battery was ordered to save the Cathedral at all costs. They fired all night to
divert the German bombers and the Cathedral was saved. He was very proud to have been part of this.
Whilst still in England, Dad – a Lance Bombardier, was also involved in the air defences against
flying bombs.

Dad had two significant experiences during the war. He spent 6 months in the United States as part
of a demonstration unit. He much enjoyed this time, particularly meeting celebrities and film stars
in Hollywood! At the end of the war he spent a year in India. This experience affected him deeply
but for very different reasons. The desperate poverty and inequality shocked him a great deal.

Once he left national service there was a need to find a job. He joined the Home Office in the
Immigration Department and thus began a 35 year career in the Civil Service. Whilst at the Home
Office he met my Mother. She recalls that the first job he had was not a popular one and that she
was surprised he was still there after a few two weeks. She thought she should then speak to him and
eventually romance blossomed.

My Mum and Dad married in 1949. Their early years of marriage were spent in Dulwich where Edwin was
born in 1950. Robert was born in 1953. The family moved to Loughton in 1955. Dad always regarded
the move to the house in Whitehills Road as a great piece of good fortune. I was born in 1957 to
complete the family

Dad’s career in the Civil Service began to develop and he spent a period as a Private Secretary
in a Ministers office. He was rising through the ranks in various management positions. There was no
doubting that my Dad loved his job. The copious amounts of work he brought home was testament to
this. He almost carried a suitcase to and from work on some days. He also used to say that often he
left the office late in the evening at the same time as the Home Secretary!

The culmination of Dad’s working life was his promotion to Senior Executive Officer in the
Personnel Department dealing with the Prison Service. He was justifiably proud of this achievement.

It was a surprise to us that Dad decided to retire at the age of sixty in 1981. It did take him a
while to adjust to retirement but eventually he fully embraced this period of his life. He did have
some local part time jobs, and also helped out with weddings and funerals here at St John’s
Church. He became active in the British Legion and became a volunteer for the National Epilepsy
Society.

One of the great joys of his retirement was when he became a Granddad. He got huge pleasure from his
Granddaughters, Laura and Katie. He always spent as much time as he could with them, always keen to
baby sit or take them out for the afternoon. He was very proud of them both.

Dad lost his sister Violet in 1992, and her husband Arthur died two years later. He felt their loss
very deeply as a link to his past was gone. Dad always enjoyed being with them.

Dad suffered his fair share of ill health during his retirement. He bore this with great fortitude
and was determined to carry on his life as normally as possible. He fought a successful battle with
prostrate cancer which undoubtedly prolonged his life for a number of years.

Dad faced up to his final challenge with great courage and fortitude. Sadly he could not win this
last battle, and passed away on 7th July.

The facts of Dad’s life do not of course tell you what you should know about his character and
qualities.

His dedication to work was inspired by a genuine public service ethos. He believed it was a vocation
to serve the public. Many who worked for him were grateful for his help and assistance, and he often
spent much time helping his staff to solve their own problems. He was also driven to support his
family and improve their lives.

His family were the centre of his life. He was immensely proud of his wife, sons, daughters-in-law,
and granddaughters. His support for us was unfailing. Dad would take on anybody who he felt had
unjustifiably treated his family badly. This could be a single person or huge corporate body, it
made no difference. He was relentless in his task – and nearly always successful. He would answer
every call for help and assistance, and never failed us.

He supported our Mum through her stays in hospital. He was there all day, every day so much so that
many people thought that he was part of the Hospital staff! Her recoveries owed much to his support
and commitment.

His love for his Granddaughters was obvious for all to see. He took great pride and joy in watching
them grow up. He was proud of their achievements. He was always there for school concerts, nativity
plays, dance presentations and musicals. He delighted in seeing them develop their talents
(Laura's version of Ave Maria is the first track you hear whilst viewing this page. It was
recorded for his funeral but on the day it was not needed as she sang it live accapella in the
church). He supported them both during the illness of their Granddad Ian (Ian Brazier also on this
site), and after he died earlier this year.

Some of my Dad’s happiest memories were of our glorious family holidays on the Isle of Wight. He
loved the island and we all remember those times with great affection. The sun always seemed to
shine, and that ferry trip across the Solent was always the start of a great adventure. Dad loved
the yachts at Cowes, the donkey at Carisbrooke Castle, the coloured sand at Allum Bay, the pier at
Ventnor, and Queen Victoria’s bedroom at Osborne House. Even a night spent sleeping in the car,
because we had arrived a day too early for our accommodation, has gone down in family folklore as a
great event!

We have many other great memories to treasure.

Dad also had a great sense of humour, and not everyone would have seen this. This could be quite
mischievous at times but not unkind to anyone. I recall on one occasion when my Mum was out in the
evening, I gave him what I thought was his dinner warming on the oven. When my Mum arrived home we
realised we had feed him the dog’s evening meal by mistake. Characteristically he saw the funny
side of this, and shared the joke with friends and family.

Dad had a great interest in politics and religion. This led to many heated debates around the family
dinner table. I was never quite sure where his politics rested – he seemed to borrow something
from everyone. But the underpinning message of his views was always of a just society for all. He
was a spiritual person and was confirmed as an adult in the Church. He took great pleasure from his
association with this parish and this church.

Whilst we are all united in grief today we should remember to celebrate Dad’s life. He touched
many in all aspects of his life, and we are all the better for knowing him. We are so grateful for
the many years he was with us.

May he rest in peace.