{"id":1426,"date":"2025-07-31T20:31:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2025-07-31T20:35:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T19:35:47","slug":"tribute-to-errol-vertanness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/tribute-to-errol-vertanness\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribute to Errol Vertanness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dad was born on July 17, 1947, in Calcutta, India. He was the youngest of three children, born to Hilda and John and a beloved brother to his sister Betty, who is sadly no longer with us, and to his brother Johnny.<\/p>\n

He spent his early years in India where he had a privileged upbringing. Dad had a fantastic memory and we loved to hear his stories from his childhood. He attended boarding school in Darjeeling, where he was taught by the Irish Christian Brothers. Their guidance helped lay the foundation for his strong faith that stayed with him throughout his life.<\/p>\n

At the age of 13, Dad moved to England and settled in Northolt, Harrow. His love of travel later took him to Valencia, Spain – a time he often spoke of fondly. He lived there for two years, embracing the culture and becoming fluent in Spanish.<\/p>\n

In 1973, Dad met Mum, Teresa, and two years later, they were married in Peckham at the Franciscan friary. \u00a0\u00a0In a short time, they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary \u2014 a remarkable milestone that speaks to a lifetime of love and devotion.<\/p>\n

They moved to Bexley village and lived there for two years and attended Mass in a hut in the village as St John Fisher\u2019s Church had not been built.\u00a0 They then moved to Bexleyheath in 1977 and joined St Stephen\u2019s parish.\u00a0 He was a devout Catholic and attended the weekly 8.30 Sunday Mass over many years, then the 9.30 when the times changed. We three girls all attended St Stephen\u2019s Primary School.\u00a0 In recent years he helped with the collection at Sunday Mass.<\/p>\n

Dad had a real passion for photography. For years, family outings weren\u2019t complete without us standing around for what seemed like ages so he could capture the perfect shot. Out came the tripod, and he\u2019d carefully check the background for just the right splash of colour. Then came the directions: \u201cSarah, head up\u2026 Helen, shoulders down\u2026 Clare, smile!\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>But looking back, those moments are some of our most treasured memories.<\/p>\n

Dad\u2019s true sanctuary was his garden. It was more than just a hobby \u2014 it was his pride and joy. He was an absolute perfectionist when it came to it, spending countless hours pruning, planting, and making sure every flower and blade of grass was just right. We often joked that he was probably escaping the chaos of the four of us\u2026 and who could blame him! Everyone who visited the house would comment on how beautiful the garden was \u2014 it really was a reflection of him: thoughtful, cared for, and full of life.<\/p>\n

Dad also loved his food, especially a good curry! \u00a0He had a great appetite and a real appreciation for a hearty, home-cooked meal. Whether it was Mum\u2019s cooking, or just a simple takeaway, he enjoyed every bite with genuine enthusiasm. He was lucky enough to travel to Australia when James and I lived there and every time we went out he would say it was the best lamb or the best salad he\u2019d ever eaten. He said it so often, we used to joke that every meal was the best one of his life.<\/p>\n

Dad was also well known for his honesty \u2014 he always told it like it was, whether you wanted to hear it or not! And that honesty wasn\u2019t reserved just for us as a family \u2014 it was simply who he was. People respected him for it, because you always knew where you stood with Dad.<\/p>\n

Another of Dad\u2019s great passions was music. Even when he was washing up, he\u2019d have his headphones on, completely immersed in his favourite songs. Some of our earliest memories are of listening to his music in the car on the way to school \u2014 whether we liked it or not! His ultimate idol was Cliff Richard, and he wouldn\u2019t hear a bad word said about him. And then there was the dancing! Dad loved a dance \u2014 especially a good jive. He was always up on the dance floor at weddings and family parties, often swinging Mum around.<\/p>\n

\"ErrolMore than anything, family was at the very heart of Dad\u2019s life. Dad absolutely idolised Mum and made sure we all knew how much he adored her. When I think of Dad, so many things come to mind\u2014his kindness, his quiet strength, his sense of humour\u2014but what stands out most of all is how deeply he loved our mum. The bond they shared was something truly special, and it was clear to anyone who saw them together.<\/p>\n

Helen, Sarah, and I have been so lucky to grow up in such a warm, loving, and close-knit family. Mum and Dad have always been our greatest example \u2014 the most amazing parents we could have wished for. Their love for each other, and for us, shaped everything good about our childhood and who we\u2019ve become. \u00a0He loved us\u2014not just in words, but in actions, offering a quiet word of encouragement, or just sitting in silence when words weren\u2019t needed\u2014he was there.<\/p>\n

Alongside us girls, he loved his sons-in-law – James, Tim, and Mark – and he absolutely adored his seven grandchildren: Harry, Oliver, Lily, Jack, Isla, Bella, and Charlie. Watching them grow brought him endless joy, and his pride in each of them was clear to see.<\/p>\n

Dad was a true gentleman \u2014 and that\u2019s not just something we say lightly. It\u2019s a phrase that has come up over and over again in the many cards, letters, and messages we\u2019ve received over the past few weeks. \u00a0Even when he was in hospital in January for a few weeks, he was always thanking the nurses, never complaining \u2014 and I think it\u2019s safe to say, he was their favourite patient. That kind of quiet dignity, warmth, and sincerity left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine life without Dad, but we take comfort in knowing he lived a full life\u2014a life rich with love, laughter, and purpose.<\/p>\n

We will miss you terribly, but you will live on forever in our hearts. We promise to take care of Mum and to continue making you proud.<\/p>\n

Clare Preece<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dad was born on July 17, 1947, in Calcutta, India. He was the youngest of three children, born to Hilda and John and a beloved brother to his sister Betty, who is sadly no longer with us, and to his brother Johnny.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1426"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1437,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions\/1437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.saintstephens.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}