Farewell Charles Lawrence Wade 1937-2020
It is with great sorrow that we announce Charles Wade died peacefully in his sleep at home Friday night after a long illness aged 83. Charles was a lifelong member of Leamington, a past Captain of Tennis and President of the Club. He had been a member for 64 years during which time his contribution to the Club and to Real Tennis was immense; he will be profoundly missed.
As part of its sesqui-centenary celebrations twenty four years ago, the Club commissioned Charles to write ‘The History of The Leamington Tennis Court Club 1846-1996’ and, in the publication, Charles’s mini-biography was as follows:
‘Charles Wade joined the Leamington Tennis Court Club in 1956, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-uncle. His younger brother Ian is also a member of the club. He is an enthusiastic player and past winner of the Pro-Am Tournament and the Scottish Amateur Doubles Championship but he attributes these successes to the quality of his partners. He entered the Amateur Singles Championships three or four times in the early 1970s and admits he was little more than ‘cannon-fodder’. His other successes on court have been in club handicap events.
Charles Wade is a public relations consultant and writer. He married his wife Liz in 1966 and they have two daughters. In addition to Real Tennis, his other enthusiasms are golf and skiing. At one time he had political ambitions and stood twice for Parliament as a Conservative candidate. He was a member of the club’s committee and captain of tennis for over twenty years. In that time he organised a large number of national and domestic tournaments. He has also served on the T&RA Council since 1975. One of his most important and lasting achievements in Real Tennis was the invention of the handicapping system which has now been adopted worldwide.’
We extend our deepest sympathies to Charles’ widow, Liz, and their daughters, Lucinda and Sophie, and their families.
The funeral will be private, but the family intend to arrange a memorial service in the future when club members and the wider Tennis community will be able to celebrate his life.
Olaf Dixon
President LTCC