Walter Hesketh

WALTER HESKETH 15TH JUNE 2007, MANCHESTER

WALTER HESKETH IS ONE OF THE NICEST MEN YOU COULD HOPE TO MEET. HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY HIS
FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HE WAS A GENTLEMAN, A KIND THOUGHTFUL PERSON. HE HAD A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOUR
AND A GREAT LAUGH. I COULD ALWAYS DEPEND ON HIM AND HE NEVER LET ME DOWN. WHEN I WAS A CHILD HE SAID
THAT TO ME, THAT I COULD ALWAYS RELY ON HIM AND HE WAS TRUE TO HIS WORD. HE WAS MARRIED TO MARGARET
AND HAD THREE CHILDREN, CAROL,CHRIS AND MARK. HE ALSO HAD NINE GRAND CHILDREN AND TWO GREAT GRAND
CHILDREN. HE WAS ADORED BY US ALL. HE ALSO HAD A BROTHER AND SISTER.

MY DAD IS THE BEST DAD IN THE WORLD AND WE ALL LOVE AND MISS HIM SO VERY MUCH. HE IS IN OUR THOUGHTS
AND HEARTS CONSTANTLY AND ALWAYS WILL BE.

HOW DO YOU THANK SOMEONE FOR LOVE BEYOND WORDS? FOR LOVING US? FOR SUPPORTING US AND FOR ALWAYS
BEING THERE WHEN WE NEEDED HIM? THAT IS MY DAD. HE ALWAYS LOVED US VERY MUCH AND WE LOVED HIM IN
RETURN.I ADORE HIM AND WILL ALWAYS BE A DADDY'S GIRL.

WALTER HESKETH WAS AN EXTREMELY POPULAR AND ACCOMPLISHED ATHLETE WHO ACHIEVED GREAT SUCCESS IN THE
1950'S,BECOMING THE BRITISH RECORD HOLDER FOR 6 MILES, THE FIRST MAN TO WIN THE NATIONAL CROSS
COUNTRY TITLE AT EVERY AGE GROUP AND TO REPRESENT THE GREAT BRITISH ATHLETICS TEAM ON NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS.
HE WAS PREVIOUSLY A MEMBER OF MANCHESTER HARRIERS AND LATER GOT INVOLVED WITH COACHING AT STOCKPORT
HARRIERS,WHERE HE SUCCESSFULLY NURTURED A NUMBER OF ATHLETES WHO WENT ON TO ACHIEVE NATIONAL
RECOGNITION.

MY DAD BEGAN RUNNING AT THE AGE OF FOURTEEN AND REGULARLY BEAT RUNNERS WHO WERE OLDER THAN HIM. HE
WAS A LONG DISTANCE AND CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER. HE BEAT THE FIVE MILE RECORD THAT HAD STOOD FOR FORTY
YEARS. HE WON MANY RACES, AND WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE FINEST RUNNERS OF HIS GENERATION.

HE USED TO RUN WITH GORDON PIRIE AND ROGER BANNISTER, FRANK SANDO, GEOFF SAUNDERS AMONG MANY
OTHERS.HE WON MANY TROPHIES AND WE HAVE FILES OF NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS OF HIS RUNNING CAREER.HE IS
MENTIONED IN ROGER BANNISTER'S BOOK, THE FOUR MINUTE MILE AND ALSO IN MANY OTHERS.HIS NAME IS IN THE
HISTORY BOOKS FOREVER, AS ONE OF THIS COUNTRY'S GREATEST RUNNERS OF THE LATE 1940'S AND 1950'S.

HE WAS KIND TO ANIMALS. ANIMAL WELFARE WAS A PASSION OF MY DAD'S AND THE NEIGHBOURS ALWAYS BROUGHT
STRAYS OR INJURED ANIMALS TO MY DAD, WHO LOOKED AFTER THEM. WE HAD MANY PETS OVER THE
YEARS,INCLUDING DOGS, LASSIE AND BESS AND A CAT CALLED MOGGY. HE HAD ONE DOG IN PARTICULAR CALLED
ROSSIE THAT HE LOVED VERY MUCH AND I HOPE THEY ARE TOGETHER IN HEAVEN.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A DADDY'S GIRL AND THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE. HE IS THE BEST FATHER ANYONE COULD
EVER HAVE AND I AM SO VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HIM AS MY DAD. I WANT TO THANK YOU DAD FOR LOVING ME,FOR
BEING THE FANTASTIC CARING MAN THAT YOU ARE. I KNOW YOU HAVE NOT LEFT ME. YOU ARE CLOSE BY, JUST OUT
OF SIGHT AND ONE DAY WE WILL BE REUNITED.

HE WAS ALWAYS A STAR IN HIS LIFE AND I AM SURE HE IS A STAR NOW IN HEAVEN. THE BRIGHTEST STAR,
SHINING IN THE SKY.

I LOVE YOU DAD, SO VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST LOVED PERSON IN MY LIFE.