Family, rugby mates, other friends and colleagues from Chuck Charles’s business life gathered to say farewell and listen to reminiscences about a man held in such high regard by so many.

The service began with a surprise for many as the order of service sheets were handed out – A Celebration for the Life of Donovan Allen Charles.

Donovan? Almost everyone who knew the man called him Chuck. Wife Toni always called him Don but how many of us realised it was not short for Donald?

How he managed to keep that a secret will remain a mystery.

A suitable rugby-themed poem, Time Up, was followed by an address from Reg Harris, a fellow front-row battler, just like Chuck had been during his Old Eds playing days.

Reg recalled how this single-minded man had established a schools seven-a-side rugby competition during the 1970s and had turned into one of national repute, attracting many of the top schools in the country to Weddington.

In concert with Jumbo Barnes he had also set up Frumas – the Front Row Union Mutual Appreciation Society – which had briefly featured on a national scale, again in the 1970s.

Heady days for the often under-appreciated grunters of the forwards.

Earlier, jazz music had played a fitting start to the service and reflected one of the loves of Chuck’s life.

St Louis Blues March, by the RAF Squadronaires, recalled Chuck’s National Service, which he often recounted with some affection, especially when he was based near Blackpool.

Son David and Toni’s daughter Debbie spoke movingly of Chuck’s part in their lives and Derek Hams, who led the service reminded us all of his commitment to excellence in his engineering life.

Billie Holliday’s I’ll Be Seeing You brought time for the crowd in the crematorium to reflect on their own memories and Monty Sunshine Jazz Band’s Sleep My Little Prince played as mourners stepped out into the April chill.

Then it was time to move on to the Eds clubhouse for people who had travelled from distance to renew friendships, share their memories of Chuck and enjoy a buffet laid on by club steward Nick Downes and his wife Linda.

In recent months the Eds clubhouse has seen gatherings after the deaths of Alan Cadman and Jez Simpson, two more men who gave so much to the club. There’s nowhere quite like it on these sad occasions.

Paul Webb