Percy Matthews died 16 June 1946

I'm putting this on the web in case anyone is researching their family tree and happen to do a web search.

Percy Matthews - Collapsed in office 08.01.46 - Passed away  16.06.46

Of Welsh extraction, born in South Bank I think, and of parents in fairly comfortable circumstances of bank manager class.  He referred to having a nursery when they were young.  Educated at Middlesbrough High School,  His family suffered troubles due to father and drink but of this I am not certain.  Percy had to find employment and obtains junior place in S.D. clerical staff.  I cannot be sure that this was his first employ.  He `joined up’ early in the 1914-18 war and was a Writer in the Royal Navy.  He travelled across country to Greece and joined the fleet there.  He must have been anchored for a considerable time near Constantinople for he had many stories to tell of this place.  At the close of hostilities he was shipped back home and returned to S.D.Co.  When I commenced with this firm in 1928, Percy was the secretary to the Engine Works Manager (Jos Ostens).  He typed the correspondence and orders etc..  Bob Urwin being the E.W. cost clerk.  A few years later when shipbuilding was depressed, the costing clerk was moved to another department and Percy took on costing in addition to the letters, ordering, etc..  This work he retained to the end.

He made a keen study of Pitman’s shorthand and upheld it as the best system and also that the study of shorthand was never finished.  He taught shorthand at South Bank Council School evening classes two or three nights a week in winter session and many a rush he had to fulfil these appointments due to Jo Osten’s habit of being late to `sign up’ the letters.  He and Mrs M. took a great interest in tennis at S.D.Normanby Park.  During the 1939 war, when our forces were not doing too well and some had tendencies to express defeatist views, P.M. was very strong against this kind of talk and a great upholder of the British power and ability to pull through.  In the dark days he was a fine tonic and contemptuous of the reverse view.  He was a strong character and held his views firmly  but very reasonably.  He was a quick worker and a great asset to the E.W. Department.  His opinion was worthy of note and very valuable to me.  He was an ideal secretary.  Never exceeded his position but was also held in respect by his inferiors and superiors, due to his ability and willingness to assist in any difficulty.

They had no children.  Their early married life was spent in rooms due to the house shortage after the war.  They visited and were visited by Mrs M.’s relations and he was most patient in this as many of his holidays, away from home were not to his liking.  Mrs M. suffered for a few years from internal troubles and underwent some rather serious operations, but seemed latterly to be almost normal.  They resided in Hampden St., South Bank until about 11 years ago when they built a semi-detached house on a favourite site in Eston.  The furnishing of this house and garden gave them great pleasure and Mrs M. took an extreme interest in the house decoration and the tidyness of the garden.  He loved his pipe and after a morning’s work he would come to my office about noon and light up and puff away for a few minutes as though it was a great pleasure.   When blood donors were asked for during the war, he expressed his views that this was as little as he could do for the war, when soldiers were doing so much more and although he had a pale complexion, indicating in my opinion, no excess of blood, he gave blood on two occasions.  This impoverished his system and sometime later  he had chest trouble and underwent a serious operation at North Ormesby Hospital.  He partially   recovered and returned to his work at the office.  He kept going for a few months but always with a pain in the region of his lower body.  One day he felt unusually unwell and went to  the S.D. ambulance room and fainted there.  He was taken care of and a doctor brought.  He was removed to North Ormesby Hospital.  He admitted (later) that if this incident had happened almost anywhere, but in the ambulance room , he would have never survived it.

After a long spell in N. Ormesby Hospital he returned home and rallied a little, but always suffering a pain in his lower body.  This pain grew worse, he was taken to Newcastle for a further operation and passed away Sunday June 16th.  He and Mrs M. spent their free time together except that he was a freemason of Redcar lodge.  He advocated that a night with men only was a tonic.  Fond of radio plays.  One of his favourites music “La Pique Dame”.