Will Wakeham

5 May 1911 – 13 June 2009

Will Wakeham was the son of Gertrude Clarke, Anthony Jacques Cheeper/Clarke's 2nd child by Emma Terry, and William Ellis Wakeham.

He was born 5 May 1911, Poplar 1c 898.

He married Marjorie Constance Lawler, b. 29 Mar 1908.

Their marriage was on 2 Sep 1939, at St James, New Brighton.
That was just as Hitler began to invade Poland, and hence the day before Great Britain declared war on Germany.

Will would have been 29-35 during WWII, and may have been very much involved in it. It appears he's always lived in London. So even if he was 'medicalled out' of the forces, or in a restricted occupation, he'd have had trouble avoiding the Blitz.

Will and Marjorie had 2 children. Will worked in the insurance industry.

Marjorie d. 25 Oct 1993, Chertsey, so aged 85.

Having grown up together, the Wanless and Terry children were aware of one another's existence. Indeed they lived in close proximity through the 1940s and 1950s, with Will Wakeham's family at Tybenham Rd and Geoff Clarke's at Poplar Rd, both in Merton Park 1-1/2 miles south of Wimbledon.

Will lived in Walton-on-Thames. Geoff Clarke was in ongoing contact with him from 1979 until Will's death in 2009.

In June 2006, I missed meeting Will because he'd just left for his annual 4 weeks in Italy with his son (at age 95). Will was complaining about no longer being able to drive, and needing some assistance to get around. But I finally met Will, in Geoff's company, in June 2007.

Will passed away on 13 June 2009, at 98. He was well until his last 3 weeks. He then had a urinary infection, caught pneumonia, recovered, but then had a couple of heart attacks and then died in his sleep. He'd continued his regular 3-week summer holiday with his son south of Rome until 2007, i.e. at 96.

  1. Carol Ann Wakeham
    b. 17 May 1943, Kingston on Thames
    m. 13 Apr 1974 to Anthony Charles Owen, at St Lawrence Morden
    Anthony was b. 17 Oct 1942, Hingham Norfolk
    From a military family, and served in REME. Then in the car industry
    Living and working in schools in Walton-on-Thames
    I met Carol in July 2009, at Geoff Clarke's place in Walton-on-Thames, and again in 2013
    1. James Anthony Owen
      b. 9 Aug 1977
      BA from York University
    2. Simon Edward Owen
      b. 30 Aug 1979
      BSc and Phys Ed from Liverpool University
  2. Anthony William Wakeham
    b. 10 May 1945, Barry Glamorgan
    A confirmed bachelor
    English teacher in Italy (just south of Rome) since 1966, retired c. 2005

We're missing a lot of information; and we'd love to know more!


This a page within Roger Clarke's Family Web-Site

Contact: Roger Clarke and/or Anne Kratzmann

Created: 21 January 2006; Last Amended: 16 October 2009, 10 February 2013