13867 RGS ONA Magazine 84_v 09/01/2012 15:02 Page 15
Obituaries Peter Stracey (24-35) Born 1918, died September 2011, aged 93.
Peter Stracey was born on the 21 June 1918 and died on the 29 September 2011. He was the only child of Samuel and Annie Stracey. Peter’s father was an accountant with the Newcastle Electricity Supply Company, and a Freemason, having been a member of the Gosforth Lodge. When Peter was 12 years old, his father took him to watch Newcastle United play at St James’ Park. Sam Stracey contracted pneumonia that day, there were no suitable antibiotics available in those days, and he died from the pneumonia shortly afterwards, leaving Annie to bring Peter up on her own. After Peter left school, he commenced studying to become a solicitor, but did not complete his training before the outbreak of the second world war. By then, he was a serving member of the TA and was therefore one of the first to be called up for war service. He served throughout the war with the 51st Highland Brigade of the 8th Army, rising to the rank of Acting Major. Peter served in North Africa, Italy and Greece where he acquired his interest in sailing.
and agreed terms for a partnership between them. And so the firm with that familiar name of Patterson Glenton & Stracey came into being. He was immensely proud of what the firm achieved during his working life as a partner, and rightly so. There was a perfect blend of all necessary skills for a legal practice of that era, and the firm had offices during the years when Peter was a partner, in Newcastle, Jarrow and Gosforth as well as South Shields. Peter acquired extensive experience in the law relating to the fast developing entertainment industry, planning law (with particular reference to caravan sites) and associated liquor licensing matters. He retired as a consultant in 1990, having been a working member of PG&S for over 40 years.
In 1950 Peter became a Freemason by joining the St Lawrence Lodge in South Shields. He was appointed or honoured in various ways on about 50 occasions. When he died, he was Very Worshipful Brother Peter Stracey, holding the Grand Rank of Past Grand Sword Bearer, having been Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Deputy Grand Superintendent. His greatest Many would assume that the loss of achievement during his time as a part of his index finger was as a result of a wound in mortal combat. In fact, his Freemason was masterminding the project which resulted in the finger was caught in a jeep door by development of Peter Stracey House, accident, and that lead to the partial amputation. That minor accident saved in Fulwell, Sunderland. In the early his life. He was invalided out of the next 1990s, Peter grasped an opportunity to acquire the property on behalf of the mission, where the Officer who took appropriate Masonic charity, the total his place was killed. cost of the project including conversion costs having been about Shortly after the end of the war, and £4 million. Through a contact he had after Peter had qualified, he and Eric with the North of England Building Glenton approached Bill Patterson, Society, Peter arranged a mortgage for (who during the war had run the half that amount. The risk paid off and practice of Bellwood & Patterson as this sheltered housing development a sole practitioner, in South Shields)
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ONA – Old Novocastrians Association Magazine Spring 2012
has already been enjoyed by hundreds of people. It’s a fitting and lasting testament to Peter as an individual, and to his service to the Freemasonry movement. Peter was married twice, first to Muriel Emily Waugh, known by all as Rill, in 1943 (when he was home on leave), and they had two children, Christine and Richard. Peter was a firm and devoted father and husband, but sadly Rill was suffering from multiple sclerosis. The illness became unrelenting during the 1960s and early 70s and she died in 1971. When Peter married for the second time, to Pat Littlehales, née Germaine, he acquired two more children (Jan and Ruth) in addition to his own. He had three grandchildren of his own through Christine and four more whom he treated as his own, born to Jan and Ruth. He also had two great grandchildren. Peter was immensely proud of them all. His children, step-children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and sons in law have so many fond memories of Peter. He was incredibly energetic, supportive and truly a larger than life character. We will miss him enormously. Ian McCreath (son in law)
