Charles Rodwell – Died 16 September 2013 aged 61 years.
From the Parish Magazine – December 2013
Charles William Rodwell
23 October 1951 - 16 September 2013
A large group of family and friends of “Charlie” Rodwell gathered at St. Mary's Chuch, Denton on October 2nd for his memorial service which was led by the Rev. Barry Cramp.
Charlie, the son of Freddie and Eva Rodwell, was born in Sunnyside Cottages, (situated where “Stony Croft'' is now) which were later demolished. At that time his grandparents Charles and Jane Rodwell lived in Mill House. Grandfather Charles was the village “lengthman'' who kept the roadside hedges and verges trimmed and tidy with the gruups neatly dug out! With at least three generations known, the Rodwell family must have lived in Denton for over one hundred years. Freddie and the family moved with Charlie's younger brother Alan to Upland Terrace in the early 1960's, where Charlie lived for the rest of his life.
His father Freddie worked for several years at “White House Farm'' for George Jardine. Brother Alan also worked there after leaving school for a few years with Vaughan Lewis. The two boys went to Denton School and then on to Harleston Secondary School.
On leaving school Charlie worked for a while at the International Stores in Bungay before taking on a bread round which he continued for several years. He worked for a while at Bernard Matthews where he met his future wife Pat - they married in 1982 when she moved into the family home in Upland Terrace. Pat had two teenage children, Caroline and James who became lifelong friends with Charlie. At this time Charlie set up a garden maintenance business - his hobby of mechanical engineering stood him in good stead, he loved “tuning up'' his engines, be they car, lawnmower or whatever came into his possession!
Sadly his wife Pat died suddenly in 2010. (Her obituary appears on another page.) This was a particularly traumatic experience for Charlie as when still a lad he had come home from work to be the first to find his father had died of a heart attack while sitting in an armchair in the sitting room. Then years later the same experience was to happen again when he found his wife Pat had died in the same chair, in the same room.
After Pat died Charlie found work lorry driving. He found some comfort in the community spirit at the Denton Social club on a Friday evening, but his health soon began to deteriorate and he had to start receiving dialysis treatment at hospital. These sessions lasted well over a year until finally he was kept in at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where he passed away. He was a great dog lover and his Dalmatian called Freckles became his companion in the latter years and he kept a picture of her close by until the end.
Our condolences go to his brother Alan, his step-children Caroline and James and their families and his cousin George Nobbs and family as we say ”farewell'' to another native of Denton village.