Geoffrey Marshall (16 Mar 1946 - 17 May 2020)

In loving memory of Geoffrey Marshall who sadly passed away on 17th May 2020

Unfortunately due to the current way of life, we are unable to allow anyone to attend the funeral apart from his immediate family & there will not be a wake, but please raise a glass in memory of Geoff & share your memories.

Geoff was a loving husband of 50 years to Irene, a devoted Father to Tina, Samantha & Rachel, an exceptional Grandfather to Lewis and a loving Great Grandfather to Jenson.

He was born in Cornwall, grew up in Codsall with his sisters Kay, Alethea and Bonne. He started his career in the Army Training College in Harrogate back in 1961 following in his Father's footsteps, where he met his future brother in law Mick, His army career spanned 25 years in the Royal Signals and he toured in Germany, Hong Kong, Cyprus and the UK with his wife and children by his side.

Later he retired from the British Army to Dordon and became a prison officer at Birmingham's Winson Green for 17 years when he retired. He then worked part time as a delivery driver. Retirement did not slow him down as he took up the fight to keep Dordon Library open with the rest of the volunteers and became Chairman.

Geoff's interests included reading, photography and supporting his local football team - Tamworth FC. He started writing poetry whilst he was a serving soldier during the 1980's where he felt the outside perceptions of a soldier were that they lived by a rigid set of rules and that they were incapable of independent thought. His work is influenced by two things - people watching and his own yearning for turning back the clock. He described his style as eclectic because it veers from very serious poetry to nonsense poetry. His first published piece was in 2007 in an anthology entitled Dreams of the Night:-

A Plea for Understanding

I sit here and contemplate, always wheelchair bound,
Reliant on a few good friends to ensure I get around,
We meet people frequently who really make me wild,
If they bother to speak at all it's as if 'twas to a child,
They talk all condescendingly as the natter to my host,
About me, but not to me, I'm not a bloody ghost,
It makes me boiling mad and you know, my legs are twisted and lame,
But when will people realise there's naff all wrong with my brain!

He went on to have a further two poems published.

Two of his proudest moments were giving Tina and Samantha away at their weddings to Mark and Darren and he was extremely proud of Rachel for all the help and support she gave her Mother Irene during his failing health.

He will be sorely missed by all of his family and especially Ollie the Westie.

The Families favourite Poem written by Geoffrey is:-

Sorry, Little Spider - RIP

There's a spider a creeping along me wall,
Looking for a cosy nook,
But ee won't be finding one in 'ere,
'Cos I splattered 'im wiv me book.

'Twas a bloody silly thing to do,
'Cos circling round the light,
Is a fly, a buzz buzz buzzin',
'Twill keep me awake all night.

I should 'ave left that spider all alone,
Not sent 'im for the big sleep,
'Cos ee'd of ate that bloody fly,
And I'd be a slumbering deep!

Geoff wanted to be remembered for being a good dad and an honest man with a sense of humour!