‘Gregarious’ community man ‘threw himself into everything’

Richard Bramall was ‘someone who wanted the best for everyone’, according to his wife Diana | Other 3rd Party

Tributes have been paid to a ‘gregarious and adventurous’ community-spirited Chichester man, who has died aged 75.

Richard Bramall, who leaves behind his wife Diana and three children, James, Lucy and Katy, was chairman of the Summersale Residents’ Association after spending most of his working life in television.

Wife Diana said: “He was gregarious and adventurous. He was someone who wanted the best for everyone. He was a man who loved people, meeting people and being engaged with them.

“I have had 180 letters since he died. All of them say how much he helped people and that’s how he wanted to be.

“He was very accessible to people. He was very flexible.

“He threw himself into everything. He drove me mad sometimes but he was a remarkable man.”

Diana said Richard, who had a teaching degree, ‘did an awful lot of TV’, working on various productions including EastEnders and The Bill. His love of film and theatre began when he attended Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London.

“He went into theatre and was a stage manager for over 50 years,” Diana said.

“He was chosen as one of five to do a directors course for ATV. He was there for four/five years before he went freelance for the BBC.”

Towards the middle of his life, Richard became a Christian and eventually an associate pastor in Twickenham.

He continued his pastoral work in Church Norton, where he moved to be closer to his family, before moving again to Summersdale, where he was chairman of the residents’ association for the last two years of his life.

“He did masses there,” Diana said. “He had a handle on everything all over Chichester.”

Diana said Richard spent a lot of time in hospital, being treated for a primary brain tumour which eventually became terminal.

Unable to continue religiously covering his duties in the community, Vanessa Stern was standing in as chairman until Richard’s death on Tuesday, March 3.

Vanessa said: “Richard was so enthusiastic and it was great to have him as chairman. He attended a lot of meetings and was keen to take forward projects. He was a livewire and really threw himself into the job.”