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Derek Coles 1932 - 1998
I was asked to write an obituary for my Father, Derek Coles, for "The Parkinson", the magazine of the UK Parkinson's Disease Society.
Derek Coles died peacefully on 31st August 1998 aged 66, after a short battle with Cancer. He had been active within the Society locally and nationally since 1988, and served as Chairman of Council 1991 - 1993. His wife, Adrienne, died from MSA in 1991. He leaves his son, Simon, and daughter, Hester.
Derek had a successful career as a Civil Engineer for Mobil Oil, working on projects all over the world. When the first signs of Parkinson's began to show in Adrienne in 1984, the family were living in Indonesia, where Derek was Project Manager. By 1988 it was clear that Adrienne needed to be back in the UK, and they returned to London. In 1990 he took early retirement to give Adrienne the care she needed.
Arriving back in the UK, Derek and Adrienne soon joined the newly-formed Woking & Weybridge branch. Derek volunteered for the committee, and served in various capacities, lately as Secretary/Chairman, until a few weeks before his death.
In 1990, Derek was asked if he would meet other members who were concerned about the governance of the Society. This led to several meetings held at Walsall, and then to the "Ways & Means" committee of a number of now well known members of the Society. Derek was elected Chairman of the Ways & Means committee, which with others worked toward a solution to the Society's difficulties.
At the April 1991 AGM, Derek was elected to Council, which then elected him Chairman, a position he held until 1993 despite Adrienne's sudden death in May 1991.
Council's workload was heavy and those years saw major changes to get the Society's affairs on a proper basis for a major charity. Derek sought to be an inclusive Chairman, listening to alternative points of view with patience and respect, seeking consensus, and delegating while expecting accountability.
His experience as a carer and branch committee member drove him to ensure that the activities of the National Society supported the members on the ground, and he spent a lot of time with local branches, individual members, and staff.
Having personally felt the full impact of Parkinson's Disease, the three aims of the Society were equally precious to him, and viewed the Society's work not as separate activities but as a cohesive programme. Those looking for his specific agenda instead found a desire to see the Society in its totality, an efficient organisation working to alleviate the suffering of Parkinson's Disease.
Having served his term on Council, Derek decided not to seek re-election, saying "There are other things in life". Never one to take it easy, and a great DIY enthusiast, he started work on his dream house, which he sadly was never able to complete.
In his will Derek provided for the Adrienne Coles Memorial Trust, to promote Parkinson's Disease information and activities on the Internet; more information can be found at http://www.coles.org.uk/.
A kind, generous man, who sought only to do his best for the Society, Derek will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.
This site is © Copyright The Adrienne Coles Memorial Trust 2000, 2001, 2002.
The Adrienne Coles Memorial Trust is a Registered Charity with Charity Commission for England & Wales, registration number 1084973.
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