Coggeshall: Long-serving chorister will be sadly missed

9:57am Thursday 4th December 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Tributes have been paid to Coggeshall’s longest serving chorister who has died aged 88.

Geoffrey Blackwell was just nine years old when, having been an altar boy, he joined the choir at St Peter ad Vincula.

Over the years he sang as a treble, alto, then tenor, and saw the introduction of women into the choir in 1970.

By the time he celebrated his 75th anniversary in 2004, he had served under seven vicars at the church and nine choirmasters.

St Peter’s current vicar, the Rev Philip Banks said: “It was a privilege to have known Geoff.

“He was a man of huge energy and great integrity, whose Christian faith and love shone out in all that he did in the church and the community for so many years.

“Geoff was an amazing man – he is the first person I have met who has served in a church choir for nearly 80 years, which must be a record.

“He will leave a huge gap for his family and for us at St Peter’s, where he served as a church councillor and deanery representative, and I will personally miss him as he was so supportive to me and to our organist.

“Our prayers go out to his brother and the family for whom his passing is the end of an era,” he added.

Apart from the war years, which he spent in anti-aircraft units and the Royal Signals’ cyphers section - serving in Dover, Merseyside and India - Mr Blackwell lived all his life in Coggeshall.

Born in a cottage near the Fleece pub in West Street, he worked initially for John King, the Kelvedon seed merchant, as a seed analyst.

Following the Second World War, he was employed in a similar capacity with Matthews Seeds in Harold Wood, before switching to a more local business, Courtaulds, where he worked until his retirement at 65.

But it was for his church links and work with village organisations that he is best known.

For three years he was a member of Braintree Council and also served on the local parish council for 20 years, until ill-health forced his retirement in 1988.

His commitment to the Royal British Legion earned him, in 1979, a national gold medal and certificate for his services - only the second to be awarded since the Coggeshall branch was formed in 1921.

Other village organisations he was involved in over the years included St Peter’s Club, the parochial church council, deanery synod, the horticultural society - where he was president and a founder member - two almshouse charities, the Hitcham Trust which cares for the elderly, the Kings Fund and the Workers’ Educational Association.

Despite continuing ill-health, he kept busy editing the parish magazine and writing village news items for several newspapers, including the Essex County Standard.

Mr Blackwell leaves his brother, Douglas, four nieces and three great nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held at the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Coggeshall, on Tuesday.