Roger Stevens (3 Dec 1941 - 19 Dec 2019)

In loving memory of Roger Stevens who sadly passed away on 19th December 2019, aged 78 years.

Although he was raised in the Woodside area of South London, Roger was, as he always said 'A man of Kent', having been born in ROYAL Tunbridge Wells. He lived, mainly though, in a Terraced House in Malcolm Road, with his 2 siblings, his twin - Hilary and older sister Mavis. Their house backed onto a brick works and was very close to a railway line, something that would become a main feature and passion in his life. During the war, the three children were evacuated to Cannington in Somerset, staying with a family at Knapp Farm. He often told stories of his memories from this part of his childhood, the famous Grandad Roger stories. His passion for this area was such that his sons David, Alan and son in law Mark, took him back there for a weekend away, to re-tread his old footsteps and revisit this cherished part of his childhood. Some clever detective work and a chance encounter with a local farmer, took us to find Vera the girl whom they all played with, the daughter of the farmer. He loved this trip, seeing the old places and telling the stories of what they got up to.

After the war, he lived the rest of his childhood in Woodside and started to get VERY interested in trains - steam trains of course back then. Once he was a bit older he'd spend many hours on the platform of Kings Cross station, jotting down numbers and generally getting to know as much about the railways as he could. This was of course during the sixties - 'the swinging sixties' and one had to dress accordingly. sideburns, drainpipe trousers and winkle-picker shoes. He once told a story about how he jumped off the bus that hadn't quite stopped, and the force shoved his feet so hard into the toes of his winkle-pickers, he had to walk home bare foot and in some considerable pain!
It was also during this time of his life that he met his loving wife Christine and they were married in Sanderstead Church on 14 September 1963. Once married, Christine and Roger Stevens moved to a small flat in Coulsden, where they had their 1st child - Jane and then to another flat in Addington, where they had their 2nd child - David.

Roger passed his city and guilds as an engineer and went to work, first making parts for X-Ray machines and then as an instrument maker for a local company called Platons. This company then decided to relocate to one of the new over-spill towns - Basingstoke, and the whole family moved to a brand new 3 bedroom terraced house, where we was to live the rest of his life. It was at this house where he and Christine had their 3rd child - Alan.

Roger worked at Platons for most of his life, until they relocated once more to Sheffield. His experience and knowledge was such that they wanted him to move again, but instead he spent some time working there on a consultancy basis until he finally left Platons for good. His next role would see him working on the railway, where we would work until his retirement, a fitting role for such an enthusiast of all things rail!

Apart from the railways, Roger had a few other interests in life, he was a keen photographer, and did possess a very large number of train photo's as you would expect. He also became the unofficial photographer to the local dance school where Jane and Alan both danced. This also became a small sideline business, taking pictures at the shows and performances and selling them to the parents. He was a Mason for a while, and in his later years took up bowls, which he enjoyed a lot.

He also liked to travel and see other places, his favourite trip being to Australia, after which he was rarely seen out of his leather hat when the sun was shining. But the most travelling he did was behind a steam train on the many, many rail tours he frequented. Sometime with his boys, during the younger years, sometimes with Christine and often on his own but he was always amongst the fraternity of fellow minded folk.

Sadly, in 2012, Roger had his 1st stroke after which life started to slow down. He still walked his dog, Henry and still went on some rail tours and holidays, his last being in 2018 with all of the family to Turkey, which he really enjoyed.
At this point he had been diagnosed with dementia and his life had slowed even further. In May of 2019, he enjoyed one final rail tour with his son Alan and very soon after this, he was admitted to hospital and then finally to a nursing home, where he spent his final days. He enjoyed his 78th birthday with his whole family around him and then sadly passed away peacefully in his sleep on the 19th of December.

He leaves behind a loving family of wife, 3 children and 5 grandchildren who all miss him dearly.