Jerry Brace Wallasey Cricket Club : In Memoriam
Date: 13th March 2017
14/06/1937 – 28/02/2017
A celebration of Jerry's life will take place at Wallasey Cricket Club on Friday 17th March at 1pm. All Welcome. No Flowers please but donations are welcome to Arrowe Park, Ward 17, Family Room A, via Kenna & Turner.
Jerry was born in Highfield Hospital, Wallasey the only child of Eric & Marjorie. He was educated at Oldershaw Grammar School and Sheffield University. After the obligatory National Service he worked briefly as a banker, in London, before returning to Wallasey where he lived for the rest of his life and worked in Liverpool as an export buyer for Eurafric Trading Company. His career took him to 66 different countries - that’s a third of the world. He travelled extensively in West Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
He met his wife Liz at an Oldershaw dance and they were married at English Martyrs Church in August 1960. Jerry & Liz had four Children, Nick, Rachel Richard & Sarah. Jerry was the proud grandfather of eleven.
Jerry had many interests. He was keen on amateur dramatics, mostly with St Albans Players where he was never happier than when he was writing and producing a number of pantomimes that filled out the Floral Pavilion every year.
Jerry joined Wallasey Cricket Club in the summer of 1947. You had to be 10 years of age to join in those days but thanks to some assistance from Dennis Cottrell he was allowed in as a 9 year old. Jerry has been a member of Wallasey for an astonishing 70 consecutive years.
In his teenage years he graduated to the senior teams and started honing his craft in the 3rd XI. Jerry played most of his Wallasey career in the 2nd XI. He was a stalwart of the side for the better part of 30 years, bowling many 20 over stints of his conventional off spin and propping up the rear end of the batting order. He captained the 2nd XI for a few seasons too. He had a few very successful seasons, in the seconds, with 50+ wicket hauls. He made many friends and acquaintances at Wallasey and with other Liverpool Competition players over many years.
The years progressed, Jerry was in his fifties and not as spritely as he once was. He often complained that some of the older players tried to play on too long and weren’t really worth their place in the side. He stepped down to Captain the 3rd XI. To “give something back” to give the up and coming youngsters the benefit of his years of experience and he continued to enjoy competitive cricket. He played his last regular season at age 55 and still took part in the odd social match in the next couple of years. He was President of the Club in 1984-85 and last year became the first person to be elected for a second term of office.
In his office at home, there is a small trophy, a mounted cricket ball, commemorating one of his best performances - “Jerry Brace. 10.3 overs, 10.3 maidens, 3 wickets, Liverpool, - 2nd August 1986” - it may only be club cricket but that’s a pretty incredible spell of bowling by anybody’s standard.
Chatting recently with his Son about his cricketing career he arrived at the conclusion that he must have bowled around ten thousand overs, Wow!
After Jerry retired from cricket, he joined the Wallaseyans Club and took up crown green bowling and was an enthusiastic member of the art group. He later became president of the Wallaseyans. He was well read and an enthusiastic “pub quizzer” and a member of various teams over the years.
He was taken ill late in January and died peacefully at Arrowe Park Hospital with his family at his bedside.
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