A former student of Penrith Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, who became a police officer in Cheshire before moving back to the area he loved, died peacefully at the age of 87 in Dereham, Norfolk.
Born on April 7, 1934, at Penrith hospital, Colin Sanderson was the youngest of five siblings and lived at Rose Cottage, Tirril.
He completed his primary education at Yanwath School and was the only one of his brothers and sisters to achieve a scholarship to QEGS.
After his first job at Penrith railway station goods yard and military service with the Royal Army Pay Corps in both Scotland and Egypt, he moved to Thornton Hough, on the Wirral, following his family’s move from Tirril.
From there he joined the Cheshire Constabulary and, at a Port Sunlight dance, he met and married Maureen Hewlett. They moved to Stretton, Cheshire, where Colin served and befriended many members of the farming community as the local village bobby and raised two sons, Mark and Mike.
Moving once more, Colin became a serving officer in the Greater Manchester police force, living in Sale, Cheshire, where he made new friends and applied his village community policing skills and friendly manner, and endeared himself to many shopkeepers, business owners and the community as a whole.
After completing more than 22 years of service, Colin retired from the police at the age of 53 and moved back to the region he loved, residing at Lowther Street, Penrith.
Colin’s father, William Isaac Sanderson, was an engineer and practical man, who serviced motor cars and the first electrical generator in Cumbria, at Barton House, Tirril.
Colin picked up all of his skills plus more besides and used them to help others. He gave much of his time and energy freely to the community, where, among other things, he drove local charity buses, serviced mobility scooters, made repairs for any local church, member of the congregation, or charity that needed it.
He was hugely active in light entertainment and, through his passion for singing as a tenor and providing jokes and dance routines, accompanied by Alec Waittes, of Penrith, on the piano and organ, he would provide free entertainment for any charitable event, bringing joy to residents of retirement homes in and around the Penrith area.
He played a considerable part in Penrith, Sockbridge and Tirril community events and pantomime, as well as frequently dressing as Father Christmas, much to the delight of young children, his beaming face frequently appearing in the pages of the Herald.
Colin often contributed to the Herald with his views and opinions on how the community and town he loved so much may be better served through public spending and actively took part in a survey, on foot, for town parking by interviewing shop and business owners and members of the general public.
In later years, his deteriorating health led him to move to Norfolk to be close to his son, Mark, losing touch with the town and his many friends and associates.
He is survived by Mark and Mike, his niece, Gillian, of Wiggonby, and his nephew Simon, of Edinburgh.
A memorial service will be held for Colin at Stainton Methodist Church on Wednesday, 2nd March, at 2pm, where anyone wishing to attend will be welcome.
He requested that his ashes be scattered by the banks of the River Eamont, at Sockbridge where he used to play as a child.
Any donations will be given to local charities.
