Neville Clark  8 February 1951 - 5 January 2022

This tribute to long-time choir stalwart Nev Clark was written by his son Daniel and read out by the celebrant at Nev's funeral on 10 February 2022.

Nev in typical singing mode

Neville Clark, born in the front room of the family home at West Terrace, West Cornforth, County Durham 8th February 1951.

Mother, Elizabeth May, a stay-at-home mum, and Father, Ralph Rogerson, an underground engineer in the mines and a master carpenter.

His mother was 48 when she gave birth to Neville, having a baby later in life was very traumatic for her, and she sadly passed away when Neville was only 6 months old.

Neville was left with his father and two older sisters to care for him. Elsie, the oldest, was 22 years old when he was born, and gave up her job to raise her younger brother. Avril was only 8 years old.

Neville's father remarried Jenny Scott when he was 4 years old. Neville's earliest memory of this period was embroidering a tray cloth for his new stepmother Jenny, when he tried to present the tray cloth, he realised he had sewn it to his own shorts…his embroidery skills didn't improve much.

Neville joined the RAF in 1967, at 16 years old, to get away from his turbulent relationship with his stepmother. He joined the 210th Entry of Craft Apprentices out of RAF Locking. During his short time at RAF Locking Neville made some lifelong friends, most notably Keith Meyers, and developed a keen passion for boxing, described as a boxer with an amazingly strong punch and fantastic movement, he become the RAF Wakefield champion in 1968 at their annual boxing championship. They'll be more RAF based anecdotes later.

Realising they didn't want to serve the mandatory 16 years after their apprenticeship was finished, Neville and Keith deliberately failed their exams two years in a row, leaving the RAF in 1969. The pair relocated to Bath, where Neville became the surrogate son of Keith's mother. He affectionately referred to her as Mum Meyers. During his time in Bath Neville had numerous jobs such as a bar man and a petrol pump attendant.

Neville was 19 years old when he received news of his father's passing.

In late 1973 Neville relocated to London and opened a sandwich bar outside Thornton Heath station. This venture didn't last long. Those of you who know Neville, will know he isn't famed for his culinary expertise. Ask Sheila, Michael, and Daniel about his infamous watery vegetable broth in the bar later!

In 1974 he was working as a bouncer at Cinatra's club in Broad Green, West Croydon where he met his future wife. Sheila who was on a night out with her Auntie Dora. Ever the gentleman Neville helped the stranded Sheila find a taxi home, the pair got chatting while waiting for the taxi. After Sheila was safe in her taxi Neville apparently said to a colleague "I'm going to marry that woman".

This statement proved correct, after a short courtship Neville and Sheila married on 7th June 1975 at St. Giles Parish Church, Camberwell Green. After which they moved into their first marital home, 60 Ansdell Road, Nunhead, Peckham.

Neville worked for Lord John men’s and ladies wear in Regent Street. In 1976 the couple relocated to Exeter, where Neville was to open and manage a new Lord John men’s and ladies wear store.

Their stay in Exeter didn't last long and they were soon back in London in 1977, without a home they moved into Sheila's family home in Peckham.

In 1978 they discovered Sheila was pregnant with their first child, and soon found a new home in Edith Court, Radcliffe Road, Croydon. In February 1979 their first son, Daniel Ralph was born at Kings College Hospital. It was at this time that Neville was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Not wasting any time, the couple soon discovered Sheila was pregnant again, and in September 1980 their second son, Michael Laurence was born at Mayday Hospital Croydon.

Neville decided to leave the retail industry, settling on a new career as an estate agent, I know don't hold it against him. He opened his first estate agent with a business partner, Ralph Lawrence, in Streatham in 1982. Followed by Dawson's & First Timers in South Croydon.

Wanting to be in charge of his own destiny, Neville was soon opening a new estate agent under the banner Clark & Co in Streatham. Having learned from his previous business adventures, Clark & Co became a successful agent, opening a second branch in Sydenham.

However successful, Neville couldn't predict the plans for a new bypass through Streatham, causing a downturn in sales. This put a lot of strain on the business, quickly followed by the recession of 1991 meant that Clark & Co unfortunately went under.

Although Neville no longer owned his own estate agency, he remained in the property industry, working for Stuart Edwards estate agents in Croydon, before moving into social housing. Neville worked for a number of housing associations, before finishing his career as a cyclical manager and property surveyor for Croydon Council. COVID 19 and the diagnosis of Alzheimer's forced Neville into retirement.

Neville's main passion was singing. He was a boy soprano at school in West Cornforth, and carried on his passion throughout his life.

He joined the Croydon Male Voice Choir in 1985 and made lifelong friends in Gerry Unjohn and Dick Diplock. The three over the years would often deliberate after rehearsals, drinking into the early hours, often referring to their late-night chats as the midnight debating society.

Nev (right) with CMVC colleagues John Marshall and Gerry Upjohn when the choir sang at the opening of the Dartford Queen Elizabeth Bridge in 1991

Neville and the CMVC would take part in some prestigious concerts around the UK, such as Canterbury Cathedral, the mass choir concerts at Fairfield Halls, even singing for the queen at the opening of the Thames Crossing in Dartford.

Neville often conducted and arranged the choir après concerts in the bar after the main event, and could be said took these more seriously than the actual concert…

Neville was also part of Malcolm Sergeant Festival Choir, singing in further prestigious concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, in front of the late Princess Diana, and the Sydney Exhibition Centre during a tour of Australia in 1988.

Neville was also part of the amateur Croydon Operatic society, taking part in the performance of Turandot at Fairfield Halls. And even after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he regularly joined “sing for the brain”, a choir group for Alzheimer’s sufferers.

His only claim to fame was having written the official copyrighted lyrics to the Dambusters theme, which were recognised and endorsed by the family of the original composer.

It was during a CMVC concert that Neville's health took a turn for the worse. In the summer of 1995, he had a heart attack during a concert at a care home at the age of 44.

Neville sadly had a further heart attack in the autumn of the following year while decorating. Always the proud man he was conscious of smelling, so he had a bath while having a heart attack so he would smell nice for the ambulance crew, and go to hospital clean.

Initially taken to Mayday Hospital in Croydon, Neville was then transferred to St. Georges Hospital, where he eventually had quadruple bypass surgery. He was in hospital for six weeks before eventually being discharged home.

It was Neville's heart problems, along with Diabetes complications, that ultimately and prematurely took his life after a three-month illness.

To say his larger-than-life personality will be missed is an understatement.