Tony Modlin
Kirkby Stephen man Tony Modlin, whose passion in life was football, has died at the age of 81.
A born Londoner, he was an ardent supporter of Fulham FC. Tony met his wife, Jennifer, when she was working as a secretary in London and they decided to build their home in her native town of Kirkby Stephen, where he worked for the Post Office.
Living in Kirkby Stephen, along with work commitments, made Fulham home games difficult to attend, but Tony would drive to all midweek away games north of Birmingham with his sons.
His proudest moments were attending England’s 1966 World Cup victory over Germany, Fulham reaching both the FA Cup final in 1975 and the Europa League final in Hamburg in 2010, both of which he attended, and also his grandson playing at Newcastle United’s academy.
Tony never stopped talking about football. To get his fix on a Saturday when he could not attend Fulham games, he adopted Carlisle United as his second team, regularly going to Brunton Park and to away games down the A1, as he could be picked up at Brough.
Although his heart was elsewhere, he never stopped looking out for their results, even when he moved back to London after he and Jennifer separated.
He even kept a newspaper cutting throughout his life of the league table when Carlisle were, very briefly, top of what is today the Premiership — a feat his beloved Fulham never achieved.
Tony had a great sense of humour and loved mickey taking, a trait of most Londoners of his era, and one he passed on to his sons. As with everyone, he was not without his faults, but he was a very loving father and a loyal man to his family and friends.
He was never afraid to speak about mistakes made in the past and lessons learned as a result. He was a good man who is greatly missed by all his family and friends.
Tony is survived by sons Mark, Simon and Jason. The funeral took place at Charnock Richard crematorium.
Simon said: “Dad developed dementia three-and-a-half years ago. His behaviour changed so suddenly, at first, I thought he was mocking me, as I actually had no idea what dementia actually was, as I had never experienced it in my life.
“It is a devastating illness that not only takes a person’s life memories from them, it has a seriously detrimental effect on those close to them, as they first see their loved one’s memories disappear and then their health deteriorate rapidly.
“Seeing a once strong loved one suffer confusion, weaken and lose their memory, their dignity and ultimately their lives, is a heartbreaking experience. Since dad’s diagnosis, dementia seems to be everywhere. I had no idea it was so prevalent.
“I have lost dad and two friends to it in the past four months and friends have lost their loved ones too.”
Tony’s family have left £500 in his memory to Upper Eden Memory Club.
“£500 won’t solve anything, but maybe the club could take sufferers and their carers on a day drip somewhere,” said Simon. I will leave it to those who run the club to choose what’s best to do with the money.
“The Government should be funding clubs like this up and down the country to the tune of millions every year. The elderly have contributed so much to their communities and country and deserve to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve and receive the care they require. I pray that one day a cure is found for this horrendous disease.
“It is an honour to be able to donate to the Upper Eden Memory Club in the name of my late father.”