Tributes paid to ‘pillar’ of East Preston community that carried Olympic torch

To find Chris Shore, visiting his local was a good bet: not just for the ale, but because he loved meeting people.

And the retired East Preston estate agent will be missed by his wide circle of friends after he passed away aged 68 on February 19.

His daughter Jen said: “He was a pillar of the community. He knew everyone. Even when we went on holiday he he would recognise people.

“He was so honest and trustworthy, people respected him for that – and that’s what I loved about him.”

As a young man, Chris swapped a career as a taste tester for Guinness to be an estate agent, coming to Rustington in 1972 to work at Fox & Sons before founding Shore Estate Agents – later Shore Musgrave – in 1991, which had offices in Rustington and East Preston.

With the Littlehampton Branch of the Round Table association, which he joined in the mid 80s, Chris raised money for charity through several events including auctions for Children in Need. And with his friend Anthony Booty, in 1980 he formed Scotch: the Spotted Cow Organisation to Create Help, named after their favourite pub in Angmering.

They founded the pub’s annual conker competition, which is still going today.

The pub fan was also key in getting planning permission for the Clockhouse Bar in Sea Road, East Preston.

His son Russell said: “He reminded me of Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses. He was always up to something and it always ended with a laugh.”

An example of this was in 2006, when he found seven monkey toys washed up in a storm on East Preston beach. He gave them a clean at his home in Seaview Avenue and took them back for a photo. Fittingly named ‘Sea Monkeys’, it won a prize at the East Preston Festival.

In his retirement Chris volunteered as a minibus driver for Rustington Hall care home in Station Road, Rustington, taking the ladies out shopping and for the odd pub lunch or two.

In recognition of his kindness, a member of the board put him forward to carry the Olympic torch in the relay ahead of the 2012 games in London – one of his proudest achievements.

He ran with the flame on Portland Island, outside Weymouth in Dorset.

Russell said: “He got himself a personal trainer and bought an exercise bike and a treadmill so he could be in shape for it – but when we got there we realised it was a pretty steep hill he had to run up. He managed it though.”

He was able to keep his torch, which still sits pride of place in the home he shared with his wife of many years, Lyn, and will be given to his eldest granddaughter Freya, eight.

Chris also leaves behind granddaughters Autumn, five, and Elsie, three.

His funeral will be held at 1pm on Tuesday, March 10, at St James the Great Church in Arundel Road, Littlehampton.