Alan Morgan : 1917-2008
His life story, a sketch …
Alan was born and grew up in Wanstead now part of Redbridge, north east London. The family suffered a severe blow at father’s death when Alan was only three. Reduced circumstances forced them to relocate to Woodford Green. The baby boy was alternately spoiled and treated as man of the house by his ailing mother and three big sisters.
Schooling at Wanstead High School gave way to preparation for a career in insurance and law. This was cut short by the outbreak of war. Trained at Catterick, Alan served in the Welsh Guards and as a Captain in the Tank Corps. After the D-Day landing in Normandy they fought their way through France, Belgium, Holland and finally into Germany. Alan talked very rarely about his war service which had a profound affect on his early years.
Returning to civilian life, attempts to pick up his earlier career were not entirely realised and he spent the rest of his working life as an Insurance Inspector with what was then Sun Alliance. Visiting agents throughout London and dealing with a variety of people from kiosk owners to Reverend Mothers and University of London officials, developed his versatility and made him a man for all men and women.
His Christian faith, initiated at home and in Sunday school and nurtured in the Congregational and United Reformed tradition in Woodford, carried him through the war and blossomed in the fifties and sixties within a vibrant congregation. He claimed that the minister and fellow church members saved his life at a crisis point after the war. He was challenged in the church to take on varied responsibilities, leading a department of some eighty 10-11 year olds in Junior Church, leading the men’s club, running the church Christmas party and organising visitors to the local mental hospital. He was later responsible for a Sunday school connected to the church.
Through the church we met and married in 1967. Already in his middle years he not only took on a wayward and headstrong much younger woman, but put his home building and DIY skills to good effect supporting both a new school teacher wife and an older sister now living alone for the first time. Deeply respected by both my parents Alan was a tower of strength to my mother throughout her lifelong illness.
Alan retired just as my educational commitments suddenly increased. As I prepared for a part time Masters Degree alongside fulltime teaching, Alan became house husband, chauffeur, educational coach and trainer. The resulting degree should have been awarded to us jointly.
My appointment as head of a Suffolk school brought us to Hadleigh. Alan juggled the sale and purchase of four properties to get ourselves, as well as sister Edna settled in the town. Alan relished living in Suffolk, revelled in the local countryside and easy access to the coast. He created a beautiful garden in our little piece of Suffolk. After a digger levelled the plot he designed the green and flowery oasis, maintained now by our dear gardener and enjoyed so much by me and all our friends.
After my very early retirement and when my unexpected career in geography, as lecturer, advisor, editor and writer took off, Alan was frequently left at home. There were no complaints as I raced about the UK, made spectacular sorties to European schools and to St.Lucia and Mexico to develop resources. As indeed throughout our entire marriage, Alan gave me the maximum support and encouragement in every possible way.
During our forty years together we enjoyed some wonderful holidays, at first mainly sailing on the Broads and the northern waterways of the Netherlands. We also had memorable holidays in Scotland, the Lake District and North Norfolk, many in the Isles of Scilly and also in Norway, Switzerland and Austria. After Edna’s death Alan felt free to go further a field and our six years of amazing trips to New Zealand, Australia, the Far East, Canada and the South Pacific followed. We shared many theatre trips, to plays, concerts, some opera, but mostly to the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
In recent years our life together has centred on the church and the U3A, The University of the Third Age, attending worship and study groups, general meetings and hosting numerous computer related meetings at home. Our newly enlarged circle of friends is drawn from Stowmarket as well as Hadleigh.
Since spinal damage in 2002 and diabetic problems restricted Alan’s activity, car journeys were curtailed and eventually in 2005 he was confined to two ground floor rooms, sleeping in a recliner chair. Even though sight and hearing declined he took all this in his stride with few complaints, showing as always typical selflessness and good humour. At Easter he fell and splintered the base of his spine. In hospital for seven weeks he tried valiantly to stand and walk again. Finally discharged to return home, he decided to prolong his temporary stay at Barking Hall Nursing Home indefinitely. An amazingly generous decision, made to spare me the anxiety attendant on home care. His life ended peacefully there on July 19th.
Alan died as he had lived, always with concern for me uppermost in his mind. He was a true Christian gentleman and the most wonderful husband anyone could have. I am so privileged to have spent forty years with such a man. Freed from disability I pray that he relishes the abundant life that is now his.
The Celebration : 31/07/08
Led by the Revd.Marc Kenton
Organ Prelude: Wachet Auf by Bach
Hymn: Now thank we all our God
Welcome
Opening Prayer
Hymn: Have faith in God my Heart (Bryn Rees)
The Hebrew Scripture:
Psalm 23 Read by Revd Leslie Ivory
A poem: “In pastures green…”
Read by Revd Elizabeth Brown
The Gospel: Read by Revd Peter Peirce
Sermon on the Christian Hope
including a tribute to Alan Morgan
Hymn: Guide me o thou great Jehovah
Thanksgiving for the Victory of Christ
The Thanksgiving for love:
Read by Revd Peter Peirce
Thanksgiving for the Life of Alan Morgan
Prayers of Petition and Intercession
Commendation
Hymn: We shall go out with hope
The Gaelic Farewell
Organ Postlude: In Paradisium by Fauré
