Maurice Clist
advertisement
Farewell to D-Day veteran and community man
By Stephanie CockroftJanuary 20, 2012
ONE of Aldershot’s last remaining D-Day veterans, who gave his life to helping people in the town, has died aged 87.
Maurice Clist, described by his wife as a ‘lovely, lovely man’, served the community as a magistrate, a councillor and a church warden.
But he will perhaps be best remembered for the years of service he gave to his country, when he fought in Normandy, as part of the D-Day landings, as a member of the Royal Artillery.
Maurice, who died on January 11 after developing an aneurysm, was just 19 when he was called to service.
He served for four years as a wireless operator until the end of the war.
Just last August, Maurice was invited with his wife, Maggie, now 84, to take part in a boat tour along the Thames, in tribute to his service.
Maurice and Maggie met as teenagers at Aldershot Youth Club before being separated during the war.
In 1948, after years of writing letters to one another, the pair were married at St Michael’s Church in Aldershot, a church which remained important to Maurice throughout his life.
After their marriage, the pair bought a home in Evelyn Avenue for £15,000, where they lived together through 63 years of marriage.
It was there that Maurice and Maggie brought up their two children: Michael, now 59, who lives in Aldershot, and Peter, 55, who lives in Oxford.
Maurice also went on to become a grandfather to five children, the eldest of which is 29, and latterly became a great-grandfather.
In his working life, Maurice became the area manager for Allied Breweries, which he juggled with his various extra-curricular commitments.
He served as an Aldershot councillor during the 1950s and was also a magistrate for about five years.
Maurice, who was christened at St Michael’s Church, also spent many years as a warden of the church, where he continued to attend a weekly service with Maggie until just weeks before his death.
Maggie said: “He was a lovely, lovely man. Everybody loved him in Aldershot.
“He did so much good in the town and was always going out of his way to help people.
“I remember going around with him many times and delivering parcels for the poor people in Aldershot.
“And he loved being a councillor because he felt as though he was helping people.”
In his spare time, Maurice enjoyed playing bowls.
The pair were members at the Seale and Sands Bowls Club in Farnham, where Maurice became chairman for some time.
Photographer David Searchfield met Maurice, who was a member of the Aldershot Normandy Veterans’ Association, through his interest in the D-Day landings.
He said: “He really was a lovely chap.
“But most of all, like so many of the veterans, he went through some awful times for the benefit of the rest of us and for our country, which should never be forgotten.”
Maggie became Maurice’s carer about three years ago, when he became wheelchair-bound, due to developing fluid on the brain.
It was then the development of an aneurysm which led to his death.
He spent the last eight days of his life being cared for at Manor Place care home in Aldershot.
His funeral is taking place at St Michael’s Church today (Friday) at 11am.
Maggie is asking for donations to Water Aid, which Maurice supported passionately, in lieu of flowers.
Browse Sections
