PETER WANN (1942 - 28-08-09)

It is with great sadness that we have to report the passing of Peter Wann.  We received a phone call this morning from his wife Mabel, who informed us that he passed away very suddenly whilst on business in Dundee on Friday morning.

Peter had been a long standing member of the Coulsdon & Purley Chess Club and had been the regular top board for the club teams before any of us at CCF joined the scene.  In his youth, he was a national under 18 champion and at university, he played alongside GM  William Hartston and against GM John Nunn.

Work commitments (often involving a lot of travelling) in the banking world heavily limited his club activity over the last decade but we had the pleasure of his company at a number of CCF Rapid Plays over the last few years.  He was a real gentleman and someone who always seemed to do everything with a smile on his face.  As such, he was a pleasure to have around  and his loss will be felt by a lot of people who have been involved with the club, both past and present.

His funeral will be held at the United Reform Church , Harestone Valley Road, Caterham on Tuesday 8 September at 1pm.  After this, he will be buried at the St Mary's Anglican Church in Caterham-on-the-Hill.  Mabel has asked us to pass on that anyone who wishes to attend is welcome to do so.

Should anyone want to send any messages to the family, we will be pleased to receive them and take them on Tuesday.

DAVID GREEN (11-06-34 - 13-11-06)

CCF is sad to announce the passing of David Green.

David passed away late yesterday evening at home after an illness that had developed over the past few months.  It had been expected that we would lose him before Christmas but we are pleased to say that when it happened, it was relatively sudden and he did not suffer, which he might have done had the illness progressed.

David was a member of the chess club up until the end of last season having joined initially around 1996. He spent a period of time away from the club whilst working in Germany, so we didn't see him for some of that time.  Sadly, his health prevented him from taking any part this season although he would have liked to have been with us. He had steadily become reliant on oxygen, which made it difficult to get out of his home. In recent weeks, he had spent much of his time in wheelchairs and found it difficult to get around without help.

Although not deemed a "strong" chess player, he loved playing the game and had used some of his time in his later years to teach chess in schools under the CCF umbrella.  A couple of those he trained now take part in the senior activities at Coulsdon Chess Club.  David was very fond of all his trainees. Sadly, he had to pull out of schools earlier this year when his health started to deteriorate.

David's career was in the oil and petrochemical industry. He probably invited the theory of vertical take-off, which someone else then developed. He also warned people, before the oil-rig Piper Alfa went up, that it would happen, just proving how well he knew his industry. He worked in many countries all over the world, including a spell in Iran, from where he has to escape with his family when there was a change of government in the late 1970's.

David leaves behind his wife Anne (who some of you may remember has helped with refreshments at chess events in the past) and his daughters Emma (my wife) and Rachel. Details of the funeral will be advised in due course.

Scott Freeman

JESSIE GILBERT FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS - from Jessie's family

IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF JESSIE GILBERT
Jessie’s funeral will be held on Thursday 17^th August in Surrey.

27-07-06

Jessie had many mountains to face in her life but had faced them with maturity beyond her years; her personality was so warm and gentle. She had achieved so much against so many odds and was one of the top pupils to go through her school (Croydon High) in recent years. She left school in 2005 and took a year out to play chess and chase a title. During that year, she scored the required 3 Women’s International Master Norms, the first of which she scored here at Coulsdon in December. Her FIDE rating was all that stood between her and the WIM title.

Jessie started playing chess around the age of 7 and soon won the London Junior Under 8 Championships, an extremely prestigious title in the junior chess scene. By the age of 9, she was already playing in the Coulsdon senior club and was making her presence known both there and in a vast amount of junior and senior events across the country. In 1999, she won the World Amateur Ladies’ title at a tournament in Hastings; an event that won her the WFM title.

Domestically, Jessie has been a key member of the Coulsdon Club for a long time and not seeing her around is going to be very difficult for a large number of people. For us on a club level, we have lost one of the shining stars of Coulsdon Chess; someone we were very proud to have as a member of our club. On personal levels, we have lost someone that we not only admired greatly for the fortitude with which she faced her challenges but for the way she came out on top in everything she did.

Many people live a long life and do nothing with it. Jessie did so much with her 19 years. She will be desperately missed

NOTE: We understand that the family have asked for privacy at what is obviously a very difficult time.  CCF has issued this statement in the light of the fact that the news has already gone public.  We do not have any further information at this time but will keep people informed as appropriate.