Our village community is still in a state of shock following the tragic news of the sudden and untimely passing of Fred Crawford.
Fred, aged 74 years, passed away peacefully at Florence Nightingale Hospice last Thursday, following a short illness.
He was quite simply a unique character in our village community and will be sorely missed by both family and friends.
Fred was born and bred in Holmer Green and spent most of his life in Bucks. He chose to spend his later years residing in Chearsley, claiming it was the loveliest village he'd ever lived in.
He was an extremely sociable man and loved nothing more than to share a pint and a few laughs and stories with his friends at the pub. He believed in traditional values and was very particular in making sure everything was done in the correct way.
Fred spoke his mind without fear or favour, but he was also someone who cared passionately about the community in which he lived and was always ready to help those in need.
Fred’s life’s work and indeed his lifetime interests were cars, coaches and trains, which is why it's no surprise that the original idea for the Chearsley Village Classic & Vintage Fun Day came from Fred. From its humble beginnings, the show has grown year by year, showcasing over 300 vehicles when it was last staged in 2019. Sadly, last year’s show did not take place for reasons with which we are only too familiar.
This year’s show in September will mark its 10th birthday and will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Fred’s legacy to the community he loved so dearly.
Our heartfelt condolences go to his close family, especially his daughter Lynsey and sister Gillian.
Lynsey has asked if all who knew Fred could send her any photographs that they may have of her father, as she plans to produce a photographic record of his life.
Her address is:
14 Primrose Green,
Widmer End
High Wycombe
Bucks HP15 6BQ
Email: lynsey@ljcreative.design
Lynsey will let us have details of the arrangements for Fred’s funeral as soon as these are finalised. If any of his close friends would like to pay tribute to Fred at the funeral with some happy memories, please can you contact Lynsey so that she may organise that for you as part of the service.
