1942 – 2024
Unhappy news. Derek Coates ( Arundel PC ) sadly passed away on 30th April in his 82nd year. He had been unwell for a while but suffered a heart attack 10 days ago from which he didn’t recover.
He started playing pétanque when he brought his stepson Christian along to join the Worthing Junior Pétanque Club at Field Place. He was a member of Worthing PC and The Lamb/Arundel, playing league, competitions and was part of the Combined Team at the Brean Sands Inter-Regional.
Pétanque was not Derek’s only sport. In his time he’s played football, cricket, ten-pin bowling ( to a very high standard for many years ) and short mat bowls. He’s also run a half-marathon!
He grew up in Hove, the youngest of six. When he left school, he became an apprentice electrician but found that wasn’t for him. For many years he was a scaffolder and then went on to work for the Royal Mail.
Maybe not many of us will be aware that he sung tenor in both the Durrington and Shoreham Singwell Community Choirs.
We will certainly miss his cheerful personality and laid-back attitude to life.
RIP Derek