It is with deep sadness that Trish and her family announce the peaceful passing of Anthony (Tony) Sturgeon on Thursday 8 October, 2020. Our deepest gratitude to Manchester Road Clinic, Knutsford and Ward 12 Leighton Hospital, Crewe for all their loving care. A private service will take place on Wednesday 21st October at 11:00am. The service can be viewed live online https://www.obitus.com/ Login: Qeko1216 Password: 690106 Family flowers only please, donations if wished to Cancer Relief UK.
Tony was born in London to Constance and Leslie Robert, a younger brother for Tessa and 10 years later a big brother to Gilly. He grew up in a loving and happy home.
His Father was a member of the small team who worked with John Logie Baird who developed the worlds first working Television. At the outbreak of war Leslie was seconded to the Admiratly for the work on RADA systems. He then moved all over the UK to install RADA at the various listening centres. He took his family with him and as a consequence Tony went to 27 different schools over this period. He soon became adaptable to new homes, surroundings and education centres and learned at an early age to stick up for himself. His favourite locations were a Coastguard Cottage in Anstruther Fyfe and North Yorkshire. His spirit of adventure could fill a book but I will relate one incident. In Scotland he chopped firewood and sold it to raise money to build a canoe. One sunny day he paddled out to sea and noticed a fog cloud coming towards him. With great presence of mind he turned the boat back , fixed his eyes on a light on the shore and paddled away quite unconcerned. He arrived at the correct beach only to find the entire village, lining the sea wall. His Dad put an axe to his prize boat and that was the end of that.
After the end of the war the family returned south and Tony went into the R.E.M.E. to do his national service. He was never going to conform and finished up as Unit Armourer where he was his own man and had a great time.
At the age of Eight his Dad bought him a Model Engineer Magazine, from then on he was hooked on Steam Engines. With his natural skills and abilities with his hands led him down many avenues but his abiding hobby was building scale, working models of steam engines of many types. After leaving the Army he went to work for Freddie Hall, Fine Art Restorers who repaired antique china and glass for Thomas Goode in the City. It didn’t take long for him to learn everything possible and when Freddie could teach him not more, he left and set up his own business in his landlady’s shed.
Tony was a perfectionist and a workaholic and soon became respected in this field. During this time, at the age of 25, he met his wife Tricia. She called at his home to collect his sister Gilly as they were going out to a dance. He opened the door and the rest is history. He fell in love with her long, flowing copper hair.
His business changed to building Special Car Bodies in the sixties. The business grew very quickly and they moved into their first real home in Thorley, Bishops Stortford. It was in this lovely home that their three children, Jane, Debbie and Jonathan were born. He worked by day and built his engines in the evenings. Needing bigger premises he bought a derelict house with a perfect factory in Takeley and over the next few years restored the beautiful house and grew his business. A change in politics made his business life difficult and he decided to make a new start, sold up and emigrated to Rhodesia where some of Tricia’s family lived. There followed five interesting years and it was a wonderful place to live in the seventies. History will confirm that the terrorist war became an issue and he brought his family home. We landed in Salcome, Devon, and after four years he moved the family to Cheshire. A new start was made and he spent 37 happy years, where he continued to build his beautiful engines and founded a Steam Model Club. Making wonderful friends and spending many happy hours at a Steam Track in Daresbury owned by the Warrington and District Model Engineer Society. He spent his last working years at Knutsford High School as the boss of the school workshop and was even, on occasion, asked to talk to the A stream about engineering in general.
This brought us to the present day and, sadly, over his last year ill health took over his life. However, his skill was much admired and respected and his Model friends consulted him at every opportunity when they were stuck.
Tony made it to his 90th year . He leaves his wife of 63 years, three children, of whom he was extremely proud, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren whom he loved and enjoyed and his very dear friend Roger, all to glory in his wonderful happy memories.
Tony was a charming gentleman to the end and his life’s journey was one long adventure which was never boring.
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