TRIBUTES have been paid to the co-founder of the Imperial Charity, David McCance, who died on 17th December 2019.
His friend Sally Boyle from the Starry Eyes group has paid this tribute:
“David will be sadly missed by all who knew him particularly by his partner Marilyn and their two children Shaun and Ella, as well as his older three children Brian, Susan, and Sarah.
“The funeral will take place at the Wiltshire Crematorium Semington at 2.30pm on 14th January. David requested bright colours to worn at his funeral.
“David McCance was born on November 12th 1937 in Stockport in Manchester. David was raised the only child by his mother Ada and his father Percy. David started school at the age of 6 and left school at 15. He said he didn’t take any exams, so he started work as a painter and decorator with his father Percy.
“After experience in other jobs and with determination, David managed to get some work with the Mecca entertainment group as a supervisor, (security doorman or bouncer). He also did publicity and marketing and booked acts for the shows. David soon rose to the top of his game due to his success in this role, gaining recognition and awards. He also worked for the Ritz Ballroom where he put on acts and dealt with the publicity.
“David started thinking about a change of direction when he was told that Eric Morley of Miss World fame wanted an appointment with him in London. A chauffeur driven car took him to Manchester airport where David was flown to London for his appointment. At that time, Eric Morley was in charge of TV’s Come Dancing and managing director for the Miss World programmes. He asked David to be his right hand man and even offered to double his pay! However, the family didn’t want to go. Reluctantly, he decided to pass on this great opportunity and stay in Manchester.
“David’s first wife died and in 1978 he met Marilyn Oram, the love of his life for the remainder of his days. In 1983 their son Shaun was born and in 1986, they had their daughter Ella, who was born with Down’s syndrome. With many challenges to face, it led David to dedicate his life to fundraising.
“He started raising funds with a simple jumble sale for Stepping Stones in Trowbridge, the school for special needs, where his daughter Ella attended. When he retired, his last appointment for the charity was handing over a cheque to Stepping Stones.
“Later he officially co-founded the Imperial Charity with his friend the late John Loftus who ran an estate agents in Warminster.
“They organised three-day Wessex Air shows, where David arranged for fly passes and bands to take part. David financed events from his own pocket so that no loss would be made to the charity as he wanted all proceeds to go to Imperial Charity. The charity grew and grew, resulting in David moving to Westbury and opening a furniture shop, followed by further shops. Funds raised paid for shows and outings for the local community provided grants for special needs schools.
“His success continued before his retirement with a big show in the Civic Hall for the charity’s 25th anniversary where The Bachelors performed and his best friend and star of the 60s, Craig Douglas.
“Imperial Charity raised thousands of pounds over the years which have helped so many people. David started this very valuable charity that has helped thousands of people over the years and leaves a massive legacy for him to be remembered by.
“David also started helping Starry Eyes in 2002, a local performance group who needed stages for younger and older performers to showcase their talents. The group was based in a socially deprived part of Trowbridge. David used his mini bus to transport them all around the country so that they could perform in different areas and venues. David’s endless energy got things done properly. Without him we could never have achieved half the things we did. “ I will miss him greatly.
