Soulmate pays a fond tribute to pensioner (From Warrington Guardian)

Soulmate pays a fond tribute to pensioner

FOND memories have been expressed by the close friend of a popular Winsford pensioner whose death in a car accident shocked a community.

Norman Clark, 74, was killed when the car he was driving was involved in a collision with a lorry at the junction of the A530 Middlewich Road with Flowers Lane, outside Leighton Hospital in Crewe, on Thursday, October 7.

His passenger, Mary Read, was injured in the accident, which shocked the neighbours of their Bradbury Road home, as reported in the Guardian two weeks ago.

Now Mary, who Norman lodged with, has paid tribute to the man she thought of as her soulmate.

She said: "He came to lodge with me about 13 years ago because his daughter knew me as a friend, and our friendship started from there really.

"I miss him terribly - we had a wonderful friendship and he was my soulmate.

"I just can't get over it."

Norman was in the Navy for 23 years, serving on the HMS Llandaff and the Ark Royal.

He became a civil servant until he retired and will be greatly missed by everyone in the community.

Mary said: "He was a great snooker player and played in the local snooker team at the conservative club for a few years - he used to love that because he was very sport minded.

"And he loved the bowls, although he never played himself - he used to go and watch the local lads play.

"He was good with the neighbours' kids and they all used to tell him they loved him.

"He had a lot of mates and he liked to go across to The Swan for a pint or two - everybody loved him there."

gbebbington@guardiangrp.co.uk