David John 'Dave' Wakefield (6 Jul 1946 - 27 Dec 2018)

In loving memory of David John 'Dave' Wakefield who sadly passed away on 27th December 2018
David John Wakefield 1946-2018

David John Wakefield, born in Heanor to Walter and May Wakefield in 1946 on the same day as his grandma Isabella, the 6th July. Known to everyone only as Dave, that is everybody except for his mother.

Dave was an only child, a beautiful child, with a head full of white-blonde curls. His early childhood was spent in Heanor and during his primary school years, Walter was appointed as the steward at Stamford Street Welfare Club, moving their little family to Derby, where Dave would spend his life. Dave went to school in Alvaston until his father was made the Steward of The British Legion Club on Thomas’ Road and Dave moved to Pear Tree School. When he moved to senior school, he went to Allenton Tech and later moved to Noel-Baker, where he attended the newly built school as one of the very first pupils, where, very fittingly, two of his grandchildren, Ben and Lilimae, now attend.

After Dave left school, he became an apprentice at Carriage Site within the British Rail Engineering Training School. He eventually qualified as a brass finisher and made brass handles, window locks and fittings for the first class carriages, which he delighted in showing his family all the time. He was then promoted from the shop floor to work-study.

Later on, he moved into offices within British Rail Engineering Limited, working on the IT systems, in a time where the main frame of the computer would fill a room.
At 49, Dave was made redundant for 19 months, during which he volunteered to help the headmaster, Neil Plimmer, sort out the IT systems at Shelton Lock Junior School, and visited his daughter Tracey in Gibraltar.

In 1997, Dave went to work for South Staffs Health Authority, within the IT departments, working at Litchfield and Burton. He was eventually promoted to IT Systems Manager at Burton, which was where he worked until he retired in 2011.

Dave met Jean at Warbrook Road, Methodist Church youth club. A group of 7 or 8 friends used to spend time at a park on a Friday after youth club and get chips from the star chip shop on the way back. One Friday evening, Dave was riding beside Jean on his bike and said something funny, trying to be clever, (and for those of you who knew Dave well enough, knew he had a dry sense of humour. On many occasions reminding his children they,
“Make a better door than a window!”)
Jean, however, was not amused and knocked him off his bike. Thus starting their relationship.
Dave first met Jean’s family when her dad spent some time in the hospital. They were doing a treasure hunt and needed a Bun Penny, so they went back to ask her mum, Trudie, and gran Ashford to turn out their purses. They never found the penny, but it was the start of a truly special relationship between Dave and Trudie, whereby Dave would spend many a lunchtime with her. Later in her life, Dave welcomed Trudie into his home with open arms, always making her feel welcome. Dave also met Sue, Jean younger sister, for the first time that night. He very quickly became a friend for Sue, and they had an unbreakable bond. Sue used to go to Derby County Games with Jean, Dave and Reg, and return home to Trudie for Pikelets toasted over the open fire. Later on, in Sue’s life, she married Baz, an incredible man who Dave shared a brotherly bond with.

Jean and Dave were married on 10th February 1968, and welcomed their first child Tracey Louise, on 19th March 1971. Their second child Mark Richard came four years later on 10th February 1975. A date on which fell, Jean's birthday, their anniversary and now their son’s birthday. They didn’t plan that particularly well!

Tracey and Mark were brought into the world in a little house in Mickleover, and in 1977, they moved to Littleover, where they lived for 12 years. Both Dave and Jean were immensely proud of the work they had done on this house but moved to Sinfin Moor in 1989 when Tracey went to university in York.

Mark being the prodigal son, moved out a few times, always driving his dad slightly mad, but of whom he was very proud.
Dave’s beloved grandchildren held a very large piece of his heart. His first grandchild, Alyssa Louise born to Tracey on 14th July 1999, brought Dave a lifetime of happiness in one day. Second, came Eleanor Leigh, also born to Tracey on 25th March 2002, who amazed her granddad in seconds.

“My darling Lyssie and Ellie...” he would say followed by one of his usual granddad jokes.
His third grandchild, Benjamin David Peter, named to honour his granddad born to Mark and Dawn on 8th July 2004, arrived with white blonde hair, just like Dave. And thus became, baby number one of what Dave referred to as,
“The Alvaston three.”
His fourth grandchild born again to Mark and Dawn, Lilimae Dawn, arrived on the 15th May 2007, sharing the same blonde hair as her brother. The fifth and youngest, grandchild, Emilirose Trudie, was born to Mark and Dawn on 7th February 2011, the apple of Dave’s eye. Truly a granddad’s girl, Dave used to say,
“There are boys, there are girls and then there’s Emilirose!”
Dave gained two more grandsons, Danny and Lee, in 2008 when Tracey married Darren. On 16th August, Danny and Charmaine welcomed Ayda Jayne, Dave’s first and only Great-Grandchild.

From Mark’s early childhood, the scouts have been close to Dave’s heart. Supporting the 118th scout group quickly became Dave’s favourite hobby, being involved in jumble sales and other fundraisers. Dave first became involved when Mark went to Amsterdam in 1987, aged 11. Dave drove a minibus to Harwich to meet the ferry, and somehow managed to break down on the way back!
Later on, the scouts approached him to be the Group Scout Leader for the 118th. Dave had to give this up due to working away in Reading and York but was invited to become chairman on his return, which he gladly accepted. One of the proudest moments of his life was being awarded the Derbyshire Star in 2011, always wearing it to scouting functions.

A beloved son, husband, son-in-law, brother-in-law, father, granddad and great- granddad, Dave was truly loved, a genuinely incredible man who devoted his life to family. He was completely overwhelmed with love every day of his life and brought infinite amounts of joy to anyone who knew him. It’s is now God’s turn to know Dave as we have and for that, he is truly blessed.