BILL EMERY

Bill Emery died on September 26th, 2008, at The Heart of Kent Hospice after a short illness. The family would like to thank everyone for their many cards and letters expressing their love and sympathy, and recalling their memories of him. All brought tears and laughter, and reminded them of things they had forgotten or even knew nothing about.
Bill was born in the East End of London during an air-raid, the eighth child of William (alias Sid) and Marie Emery, earning him the nicknames of Emery the Eighth and Billy Blitz. The family then moved to Peckham, London, and lived together with aunts, grandmothers, cats, dogs, chickens and an infamous tortoise.
Bill married Chris in 1964, moved to Tonbridge with their three children and lived there for 10 years, making friends with many people. The family then moved to Mereworth to convert the Oast in 1979. The kids grew up, married, and gave them seven grandchildren, all much adored by their grandparents, and the light of Bill's life.
Bill was a wonderful, funny and accomplished man who could turn his hand to many crafts. He loved music, Frank Sinatra, doing the Telegraph crossword and golf, he also was lucky enough to enjoy the work he did for over 40 years, a job that cruelly gave him the illness he suffered so bravely.
  He made friends and kept them (the many who attended the funeral service in Mereworth Church included a large number that he had known from childhood). There were also scores that he’d met more recently who still recognised what a special, warm and friendly person he was.
  Bill was buried in West Peckham churchyard. Later friends and family adjourned to West Peckham village hall to sing his songs, tell his jokes, old, well-told and corny as they were, and to share their memories together. Later a large party gathered at The Swan, Bill’s “drinking establishment of choice”, and continued to send him on his way in style for some hours - just as he would have liked.
A collection raised £937.50 for the Blackthorn Trust and £1105.79 for the Heart of Kent Hospice. Bill would have wanted to know who chipped in the 79p.