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Tom Greeves |
An educator and a mentor to darts-players and footballers
PAINTER and decorator Tom Greeves, who has died aged 68, was one of Camden’s best darts players and a popular face around Kentish Town.
Mr Greeves worked for Camden Council’s building department for more than 30 years and was known to his mates as “Town Hall Tom”.
Hundreds attended his funeral in Our Lady Help of Christians. White council vans lined Lady Margaret Road outside the entrance and wellwishers joked that the council must have shut down for the day.
Best known for his famous clashes with big names of the day like Eric Bristow and John Lowe, Mr Greeves taught women how to play darts and included them in his mixed Malden Pub team at a time when the game was dominated by men.
His daughter Martina Greeves said his favourite pastime was darts and their home, first in Herbert Street off Queen’s Crescent and then in Islip Street in Kentish Town, was “falling over” with trophies.
She said: “The Malden was the team to beat in Camden. Darts was really important to dad. He taught us all to play – my mum, brother and sister. I remember our school reports were significantly better when it came to Maths ability. We all knew our doubles, trebles and checkouts. It was good playing in the pub because you would play with older players – it was kind of like an apprenticeship thing. He was a mentor and an educator. Dad knew people of all ages – and the respect people had for him was immense.”
A second cousin of Arsenal’s legendary assistant manager Pat Rice, Mr Greeves once coached a team of his own. The Bassett Street football team was a force to be reckoned with in the 1970s winning countless trophies with teams drawn from youths in the housing estates in Kentish Town.
Martina Greeves, his daughter, said: “When Arsenal won the cup in 2005 dad was right on the phone to Pat. He was still out with the team celebrating on the pitch at the time.”
Mr Greeves came to Camden from Ballygowan in County Down, Northern Ireland in the late 1960s. He ended his career in a top management role working on council building contracts.
A religious man, Mr Greeves regularly helped at the altar and once painted the inside of the Our Lady Help of Christian in Lady Margaret Road. He sent his three children to St Patrick’s primary school and La Sainte Union and St Aloysius secondary schools.
The family recalled happy holidays at caravan parks and side-splitting trips back to Ireland, his love of gardening, and the time he won a rock and roll competition with his beloved wife, Maureen.
He is survived by Maureen, their daughters Martina and Tamee, son Paul, and grandchildren Jack and George.
Well-wishers have raised £700 for the Marie Curie hospice in Lyndhurst Gardens. To donate call the dedicated donation line: 0800 716 146.
TOM FOOT |
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Your comments:
A lovely tribute for a lovely man. He will be missed by all his friends and relatives. Rest in peace Tommy.
A. Greeves
What a lovely and fitting tribute to my lovely brother, Tommy. I miss you so much. Margaret Graham (nee Greeves), Ballygowan, Co. Down. Northern Ireland.
M. Graham
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