Today's most viewed
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sneak previews of current and upcoming blockbusters. Click here.
|
|
|
|
Tributes to cricket club founder, 58
 |
| COMMUNITY CHIEF: Derek Patel, who has died |
THE founder of Bolton Indian Cricket Club has died.
Derek Patel, aged 58, died in his sleep at home and relatives believe that Mr Patel - whose real name was Dhirajlal - may have suffered a heart attack.
The Kenyan-born family man lived in Deane Road with his wife of 35 years, Shilaben.
The couple had two sons, Rajesh, aged 35, and Shilesh, aged 28.
A successful businessman and florist, Mr Patel owned Derek's Florist, on Deane Road, Bolton, and had become a father figure among the town's Indian community.
Family and colleagues today paid tribute to a "dedicated husband and father".
His son, Rajesh, who lives at his parents' home with his wife, said: "Dad took great pleasure in watching people better themselves and achieve.
"They went to him for advice or help. He was a pillar of the Indian community, through his work with sport and with young people.
"He was a dedicated husband and father. He was very hands-on and took pleasure in watching his projects develop."
Mr Patel left Kenya as a teenager, to live in India with family. He was sent to Bolton by his parents, aged 15, to live with family friends.
He was a keen hockey and cricket player and helped to establish the cricket club, on Hacken Lane - which is now known as the Bolton Indians Sports Club - in 1962.
In 2006 he achieved funding to build a sports hall at the site. He also worked to transform a hall, on Holden Street, into the Veda Mandir Hindu temple, in the late 1970s.
Bolton Indians Sports Club treasurer, Pravin Morar, knew Mr Patel for more than 40 years.
He said: "He will be sadly missed by everyone involved with the club. He did a lot for us and worked hard to develop the club into what it is today."
Mr Patel's funeral will take place tomorrow, at Overdale East Chapel, at 10.15am. The funeral procession will leave the family home at 7.45am and will stop at the cricket ground before proceeding to the crematorium.
10:52am Wednesday 10th January 2007
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: graham davies on 6:01pm Thu 4 Jan 07
how sad to read this , i didnt know mr patel personally but called in his shop many a time and he was always ready to have a natter , my sympathy to his family....a very nice man
how sad to read this , i didnt know mr patel personally but called in his shop many a time and he was always ready to have a natter , my sympathy to his family....a very nice man
Posted by: Pancholi family on 10:02pm Thu 4 Jan 07
Mr Patel was a very pleasant man and did alot for the Indian community. He will be greatly missed and his absence will surely be noticed. Sympathy to his family.
Mr Patel was a very pleasant man and did alot for the Indian community. He will be greatly missed and his absence will surely be noticed. Sympathy to his family.
Posted by: barry stott on 6:54pm Sun 14 Jan 07
condolances to mr patels family on behalf of spring view cricket club
condolances to mr patels family on behalf of spring view cricket club
Posted by: Atul Gaikwad, Pune, India on 1:00pm Fri 16 May 08
I had visited Bolton Indians Cricket Club in 2007 with Ken (Kanubhai) Patel. I liked the club and its facilities very much. I was just surfing today and came across this article. As i have seen the club, grounf & facilities I admire the person who has taken the inittiative, as per the article. My tributes to Mr. Derek Patel. [bold]bold[/bold]
I had visited Bolton Indians Cricket Club in 2007 with Ken (Kanubhai) Patel. I liked the club and its facilities very much. I was just surfing today and came across this article. As i have seen the club, grounf & facilities I admire the person who has taken the inittiative, as per the article. My tributes to Mr. Derek Patel.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
