Aug 13 2011
Chris Purdon very very sad news
Chris Purdon has very sadly lost his battle against leukemia following stem cell transplant operation at Barts London. Chris fought very very hard for the past two months with the saddest of endings.
I know Chris was highly regarded from his sailing days at Halfway YC and was a tenacious member of the first Feva squad at TBYC with son Matt and daughter Emma where he pimped any engineered part he could on their boat and many others.
Wife Gill has shown remarkable strength throughout and our thoughts are with Gill, Matt and Emma at this very sad time.
Chris was one of lifes truly good guys and i know this is shock to many, when Spratty has wipped away the tears i am sure his words will be well read.
Peter
Funeral details are,
Wednesday 24th August 3.20pm Southend Crematorium,
following celebration at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club
in true Chris style enabling you to do a days work first! Chris was also happiest in a pair of shorts, deck shoes and shirt, the brighter the better, so you are encouraged to follow this so we can really make a true celebration of Chris on the day, ladies obviously dressed up to the nines!
the above would be great but in all seriousness come as you like, casual with deck shoes.
there will be a collection on the day to be shared between Barts Transplant Unit and an exciting project close to Chris’s heart which you will learn more about on the day.
you can also post kind donations to,
A.R. Adams (Funeral Directors) Ltd
141 – 143 The Broadway
Thorpe Bay
Essex
SS1 3EX
11 Responses to “Chris Purdon very very sad news”
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Very very sad news. He was really one of life’s genuine people. We first met Chris and his family at TBYC when my girls started in the Feva class, his unassuming help was invaluable. We had many good times following the Fevas around the country and Europe.
We treasure many fond memories of their company and our thoughts are with Gill, Matt and Emma at this very sad time.
The Eyre family.
I dont think I have met anyone who didnt like Chris, he was always the first person I would think of to get my boat back on the water when somthing broke or went twang. He would take the part away with him and in no time at all, a masterpiece of engineering would turn up and fit like a glove, no problem! how much do I owe you Chris? just get me a couple of “Speckled Hen’s” he would say. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris and I will miss our conversations in the Dinghy park.
Chris was a lovely bloke and will be missed by so many of us.
Thinking of Gill, Matt and Emma.
Mark and Sam.
Chris myself and Charles Devonport go back along long way,we started out all at the same school that great seat of learning (not) Southchurch Hall for boys.
But our friendship grew as cadets at the Halfway Yachts club, not unlike our cadets today we spent every school holiday either on the water sailing or on the mud messing about.
We then actually managed to get into some serious racing attending numerous Albacore championships.
Charles or Charlie as I always call him started to really get into it, eventually winning the Albacores Nationals.
Whilst Chris and I spend an awful amount of time bolting my boat back together after every outing, at one nationals we spent the whole race sitting on the hovercraft slipway at Stokes bay after the mast fell down for the umpteenth time.
Whilst this would get most crews down Chris would take me to one side and say let go for a KFC and a beer.
This was our staple diet at most events and to be fair takeways were consumed at every opportunity whether home or away,this did come to a grinding halt at one stage,when after a evening out, where for once Chris was our nominated driver we stopped off for what one could only explain as a double Hawaiian egg rat burger, after one bite sent a jet of red hot egg yoke flying all over Chris’s dads car. that put paid to us using Jeff’s (Dad) car.
Chris was now becoming one of the best sailors around and soon we became rivals,but only on the water.
I have to finish now as I could go on forever.
My heart goes out to Gill,Matt and Emma we are all thinking of you.
Chris i am going to miss you mate but I will allway remember the laughs.
“Chris Purdon the greatest fighter I have ever known”
Spratty
So sorry to hear this news. Sincere condolences to Gill, Matt and Emma.
Robin
So very sad to hear this, Chris was someone i have known and admired from my Cadet years at the Halfway YC right through to our children doing now what we did back then. Sincere condolences to Gill, Matt and Emma.
Rick and Jemma
Hi Peter
Thanks for the kind words posted Chris
I’d like to be able to post a response to all those who have responded so far but as that’s not possible please pass my thanks to everyone so far, I’m sure that there will be others
Chris and I , Spratty, Charlie D, Robin F-T etc all knew each other from school days. Southchurch Hall School was where Chris and I learnt to sail and look where that got us all
Other sailing friends we picked up along the way especially at HYC and ultimately to TBYC.
It’s heartening to know that he was so well thought of and that those old friends are quick to make their feelings public
I only realised today that my scrennsaver is Chris and Emma sailing my Topper Omega at our club, Rollesby Broad SC, in Norfolk, only the second time he sailed up here
Before the picture was taken he had his toolbox out, fixing and mending things that I didn’t know needed fixing. I guess he just couldn’t help himself and it’s pretty much what he liked doing best
I’m sure the boat was better for his intervention but as a committed sea sailor he wasn’t much taken on pond sailing and it showed ( have to say I agreed with him on that one )
The last time I saw him upright, as it were, was near Barts a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning , he was engaged in a technical conversation with some guys constructing a mobile crane, absolutely typical to the last
Thanks and regards
Simon ( Brother )
Simon Purdon – Import/Export Controller
LOTUS CARS LIMITED, Hethel, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8EZ, England
Like so many others, Graham and myself knew Chris from the Halfway Y.C.
As commented previously by Mark , you couldn’t help but like Chris. He was a fearsome competitor on the water and an excellent sailor. However he was also a really friendly, easy going guy always ready to lend a hand and help.
He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Our thoughts are with Gill, Matt and Emma.
Nick and Graham
Hello All,
Funeral details are,
Wednesday 24th August 3.20pm Southend Crematorium,
following celebration at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club
in true Chris style enabling you to do a days work first! Chris was also happiest in a pair of shorts, deck shoes and shirt, the brighter the better, so you are encouraged to follow this so we can really make a true celebration of Chris on the day, ladies obviously dressed up to the nines!
the above would be great but in all seriousness come as you like, casual with deck shoes.
there will be a collection on the day to be shared between Barts Transplant Unit and an exciting project close to Chris’s heart which you will learn more about on the day.
you can also post kind donations to,
A.R. Adams (Funeral Directors) Ltd
141 – 143 The Broadway
Thorpe Bay
Essex
SS1 3EX
Please convey our deepest sympathies to the Purdon family Chris was and inspiration to all and a thoroughly nice guy he will be sorely missed by me and my family and we just hope that his mark on life is not forgotten easily as his knowledge of boat pimping made me look amateur love to Purdon family from the hoppers
all that attend the sad occasion next week please convey our deepest condolences and love Steve
Hi Pete
Sorry to bother you again but could you pop another note on the TBYC website for me?
I am going to have a little gallery of photo’s of Chris at the Yacht Club on Wednesday (Spratty making a board for me – couldn’t find a proper carpenter!).
Could you please ask if people could bring a copy of a photo of themselves with Chris (or just Chris) if they have one, with a little note on the back of who, when and where etc,
At the end of the day I can take them home and they will be treasured memories in the years to come. We will also have a book for people to leave a comment in.
Thanks very much.
Regards Gill
It was very sad news to hear of Chris and our thoughts go out to his family.
Sue and I knew Chris and Gill from the Halfway YC days from many moons ago.
I bought my very first dinghy, a 505 called Chicago Piano, off Chris. We talked prices and £150 was mentioned but being young and innocent could not afford it. But Chris being Chris being generous and kind as he genuinely was, offered to take payment in small installments to help me on the water. Thanks for all your help mate.
We have lots of fond memories of Chris.
Love Sue, Simon, Sophie & Harry.