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drinks Monday 3 November 08
Douglas Spurgeon - Obituary
Douglas Leslie Spurgeon (11 September 1923 – 12 April 2005)
Many of London's writers owe their skill, training and inspiration to the gifted and ebullient Maureen Spurgeon. The love affair of her life was with Douglas, her devoted husband - and father of their son Nigel. The obituary below is taken from the speech at his funeral at Trent Park Chapel on Fri 22 April 05.
‘Douglas Spurgeon was born in Wood Green. His father was a professional gardener, and relative of Charles Haddon Spurgeon - a famous Baptist minister and founder of Spurgeon’s Home for children.
Douglas’s mother gave birth to him to only one month short of her 47th birthday. He had one sister, Vera, nine years older, who died of tuberculosis a short time after her 21st birthday. So Douglas was very precious to his parents. His father, Jasper, took a great interest in everything Douglas did and always supported him, whether Douglas was taking part in an inter-school cricket match, playing football or singing in a church choir.
His father was particularly proud when Douglas sang in the first broadcast of Benjamin Britten’s Te Deum in 1938, the choir conducted by Reginald Goodall. The interest and support his father showed him was an example Douglas followed in regard to his own family and especially his own son, Nigel, right up until the end of his life. His only regret was that his father and mother were not able to share in Nigel’s success - but Douglas saw this as only in the physical and not in the spiritual sense.
Douglas left school at 14 and became apprenticed to become a compositor. This was to be his job until he retired. He worked in a London printer’s for the first two years of the Second World War.
On 6 August 1942, just before his 19th birthday, he enlisted for military service in the 81st Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment as part of the 1st Army. He trained as a driver/wireless operator – which will be a surprise to many of his friends because he never drove a car afterwards. He never explained quite why, but his family and some of his friends were aware that he had experienced many traumatic situations inside a tank, and lost many of his best mates in combat, and this was probably the reason.
Douglas said that the hymn The Old Rugged Cross, which we shall sing later (details of service here), was the hymn most often requested by soldiers when the Salvation Army came to hold services in the field and to distribute what cigarettes, chocolate and other rare treats they had managed to bring.
First, Douglas served in North Africa, where he contracted malaria. After that, intermittent attacks of malaria were to become a feature of his life. The Battalion then became part of the famous 8th Army, and Douglas took part in the Salerno landings, pushing the invading forces all the way up the leg of Italy as one of the D-Day Dodgers. During this time, Douglas learned to speak Italian with considerable fluency. His first wife was Italian, and although the marriage failed, his relationship with her family never did and they were all very fond of him. He had a great love of Italy, the Italian language, culture, history and Italian opera.
Returning to civvy street, Douglas became a compositor once again. On his Release Leave Certificate, his officer wrote:
"Military Conduct: Exemplary.
"This man has shown himself to be an extremely useful person, not only in his own trade, but also as a Driver Mechanic. He has a good deal of common sense and can adapt himself quickly to any job. He is honest and his personal habits are irreproachable."
He first met Maureen in 1967, when they were introduced by Douglas’s best friend – at Douglas’s request. He always said that it was love at first sight. They finally married in 1974, and soon after their son Nigel was born.
By this time, they had moved to Enfield. Like so many of their friends at the Chicken Shed Theatre Company, Douglas and Maureen had a struggle to overcome prejudice and professional bigotry with regard to Nigel’s disability, now classified as Asperger’s Syndrome.
But along with Maureen, Douglas never wavered. For him, it was another battle to be fought, another wrong to put right. In this, he was supported by his many friends and neighbours in Chestnut Road, Enfield. The arrival of Nigel’s first violin teacher, Peter Fields, was like a ray of sunshine, when it was revealed conclusively how musical and how talented Nigel was – not only for Douglas, but for his step-son Trevor and his family.
Nigel’s A passes in GCSE Music O and A Level, after studying at the Latymer School, Edmonton and particularly his graduation at Trinity College of Music were among the proudest moments in Douglas’s life, soon to be followed by appearances at the Chicken Shed Theatre in Southgate.
There was nobody there whom Douglas did not know, at least by sight, and he particularly admired Simon Cooper and his family, and Paula Rees - Chicken Shed’s writer in residence - her father Eddie and her mother Jan. This is the reason that the hymn How Great Thou Art was chosen for today's service – it was one of the hymns sung at Jan’s funeral last year.
One of Douglas’s last outings was a Quiz Evening at Chicken Shed. He later said how much he had enjoyed this, with almost the whole family taking part, meeting friends and not doing too badly in the quiz, largely due to the efforts of Trevor and Nigel.
He was a keen reader especially of spy and political thrillers, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable jazz fan. Although he often deplored the behaviour of some professional footballers and the money they were paid at the expense of the fans, he loved the game and had enjoyed watching the match between Bayern Munich and Liverpool just a few hours before he died.
Douglas was such a loving, caring and giving person, a true gentleman in all that he did and so modest about all his achievements. So many people will miss him, but we will continue to feel his kind presence around us in so many ways.’
***
Douglas Leslie Spurgeon. b 11 September 1923. d 12 April 2005, suddenly at home after a brief period of ill health, aged 81 years. Funeral on 22 April 05 - details here. Husband to Maureen; father to Nigel; step-father to Trevor; father-in-law of Ann; grandfather to Peter, Sarah, Barbara and Emma; friend and neighbour to many.
***
(c) Maureen Spurgeon 2005
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
