It is with sadness that we learnt of uncle Peter’s death. I have very fond memories of him from when I visited Gomshall and Peaslake. He inspired my lifelong love of gardening and walking.
I remember especially his garden in Peaslake which was full of an abundance of fruit, vegetables and flowers each time Pat and I visited. I will always remember uncle Peter as a
character and a very kind man.
Rest in Peace Uncle. With love from Terry and Pat
Peter William Brian Cross (19 Nov 1936 - 7 Mar 2025)
Donate in memory of
PeterMacmillan Cancer Support

Donate in memory of
PeterRNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Funeral Director
In loving memory of Peter William Brian Cross who sadly passed away on 7th March 2025
My father was the eldest of five children and spent his childhood living on Lane End Farm. Occasionally, he attended Peaslake School, often with a ferret for company, but rarely made it through the school day, preferring to head off ferreting.
In his teens, he left the family home to live at Hawthorn Cottage in the village with the Plaw sisters, distant cousins who vowed never to marry or have children as they carried the haemophilia gene and didn’t want to pass it on. My father was like a son to them and remained closely connected ted to them until the last sister, Beattie, died around 2003. As they aged, he would visit most days and as Beattie neared the end of her life, he’d visit morning and evening, enabling her to stay in her own home until her final few months.
His school attendance didn’t improve, and in his teens, would often be found driving Lane End’s tractor, delivering produce to Gomshall station, and he would also help out on the Plaw’s farm in the village. Although, he rarely attended, when he did go, his good looks caught the eye of the girls, including two of the Arrow girls, Jinny and Phyllis, both of whom would feature in his later life.
In 1959, he met my mother, marrying her in February 1960. The neighbours were very disappointed when I failed to appear for a couple of years.
My father was a wonderful dad and I spent much of my childhood either in his company or revelling in the freedom he gave me. We ‘d walk the commons and he’d teach me about the plants and animals, and at home he taught me to grow plants, spin honey and pluck game birds. I’d also accompany him out to meet clients, taking notes and helping him measure up for building works.
Eventually, my father gave up building and started running Southridge, a job he continued until 2020 when the property was put on the market. Covid put paid to his plans to collect trolleys at Tesco a couple of days a week and so, aged 84, he retired completely.
He was widowed long before he retired, my mother dying in 1995, and his teenage sweetheart, Jinny Inwood (Arrow), enjoyed a decade in his company, dying in 2005. He subsequently remarried, this time to his other teenage love, Phyllis Sayers (Arrow), nursing her through cancer at home until her death. A third marriage was short lived, being annulled just months after the wedding ceremony. He is survived by his fourth wife, Nora.
Comments