Mr Bill Penfold (President)
It is with much regret that I have to report to the members the passing of president Bill Penfold
Bill was one of the clubs few members, left who was a member when I joined the club in the late seventies
Bills chess can be described as an afternoon coffee player by which I mean he did not play tournament chess but very much enjoyed coming in to the club in the afternoons and looking and analysing positions and took a great interest in watching players play
Bill was also a frequent visitor to the Congress in the eighties and nineties to watch the premier and in many ways just as passionate about the game as those who played match chess
Bill was also an active club and committee member being always happy to transport players to away matches but would always decline to play and sometimes he even ropes his wife Ann into the drive ring a second car for players
Bill becoming the premises officer for a number of years in which time he was responsible for the redecorating of the club and the making of the library cabinets he was also responsible for getting his wife Ann to become club treasurer. When I resigned as chairman for the first time, bill stepped up to become the club chairman and in 2010 was elevated upstairs to become the President of the club which he held until his death
It is probably fair to say the that bills health had been in decline in recent years which meant he was unable to drive over to the club from his home he also had difficulty in managing the steps which resulted in him not come over to the club as often as he would have liked as opposed to his almost daily visits when his health was better
Bill died on Sunday the 27 of June he had had a stroke five weeks before that had left it difficult for him to speak, he was admitted to the Eastbourne general hospital and had an infection for about four weeks this did not clear up Bill funeral will be held at 14.15 on the 13th of July at Hastings crematorium
I would like to offer my condolences and that of the clubs to Bill family and his wife Ann for loss of one of the club’s longest members
Marc A Bryant
Chairman