Derick Eadon died on 6th July 2023 – and it is testament to the respect and affection in which he was held that over 100 of his local friends joined his family for his funeral service a few weeks later. Derick lived in Calstone for more than fifty years, serving as Church Warden for over thirty of these. We will remember him for many reasons, and particularly his faith, the energy he brought to the church and other aspects of village life, his friendship and the welcome he gave to new arrivals in the village, more often than not being the first person to visit them. For those who couldn’t attend, below is an abridged version of the eulogy given by his son-in-law, Dale Barton.
Oliver Steel, Churchwarden.
We all loved Derick. Derick loved Calstone. We love Calstone. Beverley and Nigel had a large part of their childhood here. My sons and I have spent more than a year of our lives here, enjoying Derick and Bernice’s hospitality. It is the end of an era for us twice over.
We all loved Derick. He was born in Coventry into a family from Sheffield. When war broke out he and his mother and brother were evacuated to a place of safety with his relatives at Fulow in Derbyshire. After about a year there they went back to Coventry just in time for the blitz on 14th November 1940. What were small boys doing after the blitz?They were picking up shrapnel in the streets and praying that their school had been bombed.
Derick had a happy childhood. He built his first boat aged twelve from metal barrels using a garden roller. It sank, but this did not put him off! He would have said that he did not make the most of his educational opportunities. They probably were not very good. Later he blamed himself. Out of school there were plenty of cycling and canoeing adventures with friends whom he maintained relations for the rest of his life.
He was an active teenage member of the local Congregational Church which his parents had helped to found. In the evening choir there was a vivacious redhead called Bernice. For some reason Derick started attending evening services. He and Bernice became an item.
Derick wanted to be a boat builder, but his applications came to nothing and he went to the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester instead. I think that his tastes, clothing style and politics were shaped at this point, and he started taking the Daily Telegraph. He and Bernice married and moved around with various farming jobs. Farming was his business but going afloat was his pleasure.
They came to Calstone in 1970 with Beverley and Nigel to manage East Farm. Derick actively supported the church here and was churchwarden for over 30 years. Hence the St George’s Flag on his coffin. He was active in the Deanery, being lay chair for many years. Above all he was anxious that this church building should stay open for public worship of the Lord whom he served.I say please use it or you will lose it. Losing it you would lose more than you can imagine.
Derick was also active locally on the Parish Council which serves a number of parishes locally. For a number of years he was a patient, common sense, open minded chairman.
Made redundant aged 60, he retired and continued to live in the village. There was the Parish Council, the Deanery, the PCC and of course a boat.
In 2006 Bernice died. He will share her grave today.Bernice was a good cook when I would not have trusted Derick with beans on toast. But he learned to cook and of course bake. Scones, mince pies, bread, casseroles.
We thought he was going to die during Christmas 2019, but he had three more years. In that time he enjoyed the arrival of his second great grandchild, and he was delighted to host the postponed wedding of his middle grandson Justin in 2021. As recently as this May he had Sunday lunch with me at the Wagon and Horses, a lunch on his lawn with Giles and his family and a picnic with all his grandsons in Bath.
He was stoical, steadfast, faithful, prayerful and fiercely independent. It is only in this last year that he has ever said that he was sometimes lonely. I think that was because there were things that he wanted to do but could no longer manage. He wanted to die in Calstone and we want to thank the many people who have supported him in his increasing frailty here. Mentioning no names, you know who you are. We are very grateful.
He died very quietly in Beverley’s arms on Thursday 6th July at 8.20am.
Rev Dale Barton—Derick’s son in law.
