Today we said goodbye to one of Formby’s Finest - Barry Griffiths

Today we said goodbye to one of Formby’s Finest - Barry Griffiths, who sadly passed away on Monday 1st November at the ripe old age of 87 years. Barry was a strong, polite and good humoured man who loved Formby and served its community for many years.

Barry sadly lost his beloved wife just 8 months ago in March, the much loved Formby resident Norma Griffiths who sadly passed away at the age of 81 years old after her long battle with cancer.

Barry struggled after losing Norma and his health deteriorated quickly.

Barry Griffiths was a Conservative member of Sefton Council until 2012. His funeral took place this morning, Monday 15th November at 10am at Holy Trinity Church in Formby.

Here are some Snippets of the Tribute read out by Rev Mark Stanford on behalf of Jonathan and Liz, Barry’s son and daughter.

Barry was born and raised in the Lake District where his former years were spent at Heversham Grammar School where his lifelong passion for rugby started. Football was never his game despite living in the city of Liverpool. After school he stepped on the first rung of the ladder to a very varied career starting at the biggest ship builders in Barrow In Furness where he was a submarine craftsman before going to work on Fleet Street in London where he discovered his passion for writing. He truly had a raw talent for it.

His work took him all over the world including Jamaica and New York. Everyone has heard many a story from Barry from those times including sailing a yacht to NASA with a friend from home and many stories from safaris in Africa.

Not long after he returned to the UK, he met his lifelong soul mate, Norma who he fell head over heels in love with (his words), and asked her to marry him soon after. Then they jetted off to Rhodesia together where they married. After several years, they came back to the UK expecting their first child Johnathan and Liz followed two years later and then that began a new chapter in their lives, bringing up two children in Formby from where they never left. They also brought back another small bundle from Zimbabwe, a Doberman Pincher named Zulu. They had four dogs that they adored and loved walking along the beach with them.

Barry needed a vocation, something to keep his mind active so he decided to become a councillor and successfully served the people of the Formby community for a decade and put his heart and soul into it. He was a conservative councillor but tried to support all the wards. He loved every minute of it and raised thousands of pounds along the way for charities such as the Sandpipers and the Asthma society. As part of his role he enjoyed writing for the local paper. He was a true character in every sense of the word, always causing mischief, he loved winding people up, the life and soul of parties, he loved being the centre of attention and spinning yarns and took every opportunity to embellish a story to the maximum unlike his wife who would shy away from the limelight, chalk and cheese.

He loved dressing up from his bowler hats to his crevattes, very old school in every sense of the word. He had never turned the washing machine on, never ironed a shirt, rarely cooked anything apart from his signature dishes, bacon and eggs and corned beef hash.

He struggled through the last 8 months after the loss of his beloved wife Norma. We miss you both and always will. We hope you really are happily reunited in heaven enjoying your dogs roaming the Sandhills and the beach.

Jonathan and Liz.

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Here are some Snippets of the tribute to Barry read out by his close friend Brenda Porter…

He was unpredictable he was exasperating and he cared, he really cared about Formby and the people of Formby. He fought for the people of Formby especially when he thought there was a no-win situation, Barry would go in Battling for Formby and by golly most of the time he won! That was a lovely thing about him he wasn’t influenced by anything else he just considered the people that he cared for and they were the people that lived in Formby.

Barry was also a great supporter of the Sandpipers in Southport that provide a holiday experience for people with disabilities and Barry helped to raise many, many thousands of pounds and his heart was always in it and that’s why we liked having him on the team because we knew that whether it was moving tables or selling something or fundraising or even applying for grants that Barry would be there at the fore together and often with Norma. He was a school governor at Merefield special school in Southport and he cared passionately about the children and that showed in his every day actions.

As a friend we enjoyed his friendship for well over twenty years. He was always there for us so when Barry asked me to go with him to see Norma, I did and I was there when she passed and when Barry said to her “Hopefully I’ll be with you soon”. That softened the blow when Liz rang to tell us that Barry had gone because although we are all going to miss him, it’s where he wanted to be.

I just like to say on behalf of all his friends and of all the people that he helped and he helped so many, THANKYOU BARRY.”

Brenda Porter(friend).

Barry will be very sadly missed by the whole community. Our deepest condolences to everyone that knew and loved him.

RIP Barry Griffiths

25th May 1934 - November 1st 2021

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We know that Barry would have wanted us to share this tribute to his wife Norma about their life together which he wrote for us in March this year.

Here is a memorial from Barry Griffiths in remembrance of his late loving wife Norma Griffiths:

“I returned to my home in South Lakeland in the early 60’s following eight years working in the Caribbean and New York City. I spotted Norma walking in Arnside and was immediately impressed with her striking appearance and flaxen hair to her waist. I offered her dinner at the Old England Hotel on Lake Windermere. She accepted!”

“Coincidentally, an executive from a company in Zambia was in the dining room who had business interests in Cumbria. He had interviewed me in London for a job in Africa the previous week! Small world! Is it not?”

“He made it clear that the job was mine on ‘married status only’ and said, why don’t you propose to your date and we will prepare a wedding in Lusaka, Gambia and provide a prestige home in the executive belt adjacent to the Presidents Palace with two cars, a guard dog and all expenses during a three year contract.”

“Norma flew to Africa on her own and joined me six weeks later, a brave girl indeed! We had wonderful safaris in the bush with former customers who insured we walked very close to lions and other wild animals such as hippos and big cats. She never forgot the vast continent.”

“Back in England with a substantial bonus, I got a job in Liverpool and bought a family home in Formby.”

“Normas liked this area near to the sea and involved herself in many charity activities and social causes. She raised thousands of pounds for the Sandpipers in Southport, asthma research and many other charities. Norma opened a crèche for children of broken families so that the mums could go to work. She was well known for walking children in the village with her great Danes on a lead, she became very popular with all sections of Formby society and stood for council and got the most votes each time.”

“Norma has received dozens of cards saying how lovely and elegant she was at all times.”

“She suffered serious illness over the years including breast cancer and had open heart surgery at Broadgreen and Clatterbridge hospitals. Norma never complained and Fought valiantly say the surgeons.”

“Latterly suffered from bowel cancer which was in-operable and Norma passed in Aintree hospital recently.”

“Norma will be very sadly missed by all she touched during her lifetime and has left dozens of folks broken-hearted at her loss.”

Barry Griffiths