Tributes paid to former Diss Infant School caretaker and baker, Denis Clarke

Tributes have been paid to a former baker, who dedicated his life to serving his community.

Denis Clarke died at Walcot Hall Nursing Home in the town on February 13. He was 99.

Born in Thrandeston in 1926 as the seventh of eight children, Mr Clarke attended Palgrave School and then, as a teenager, Eye Secondary School.

For more than 30 years, he worked as a baker in Diss, firstly for Charlie Denny opposite Mere’s Mouth, and then later for Ron Chapman on Market Hill.

When the bakeries closed, he became a caretaker at Diss Infants School, before retiring in 1991 after 20 years of service.

He was made an Honorary Citizen of Diss in 2001, in recognition of his work in the community, particularly his work with the elderly.

His son, Philip, said: “Dad’s enduring legacy is a life well-lived, marked by dedication, faith and love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

In the early 1950s, Mr Clarke helped to found AOG Church, in Mount Street, before its move to Vinces Road, where it is now Hope Church.

His grandfather, Edgar Stevens, owned the town’s Picture House and, in 2023, when Diss Museum commemorated the 50th anniversary of its closure, Mr Clarke was a special guest and cut a ribbon to mark the museum’s new season.

Museum manager Basil Abbot said: “Not only did he cut the tape, but he delighted everyone by bursting into a comic song.”

Mr Clarke leaves behind his wife, Josephine, six children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. There will be a celebration of his life at Hope Church on Friday, March 14, at 3pm.