Alan attended Southborough School in Tolworth, which he disliked and played truant a lot!

His father was Mayor of Surbiton and Kingston-upon-Thames and his mother, Betty, was his secretary.

Alan started his own business in 1969, running a household removal company in Surbiton. In 1973, still running his removal company, he started a haulage company and his main contract was with Mowlem Civil Engineering on the M25 motorway.

He had 25 eight-wheeler lorries, excavators and crushed concrete machines, with his sister Valerie running the business.

In 1987 Alan bought Mimbridge Garden Estates and moved to Chobham with his partner Sandy Jeives, who was introduced to him by Valerie. In those days there was a large garden centre and cafeteria at Mimbridge, which Sandy ran while Alan was busy with his various businesses, removals, tipper lorries, a vacuum tanker and demolition.

A few years later his son, James, moved into Mimbridge and set up his own business with the help of Alan in tree surgery, stump grinding, site clearance and demolition.

Alan joined Chobham Conservatives and the Chobham Business Club, and later Woking Conservatives, and was very generous. He was renowned for his parties, at least two a year, and held a party for the then Conservative Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath, Michael Gove.

Alan was so generous to all his good friends and family, often including friends on board his boat, which made a lovely day out on the Thames or Solent with bubbles and nibbles.

He also raised a lot of money for the Children with Special Needs Foundation, a charity in Chobham founded by Gordon and Anne Parris.

One day Alan spoke to a mutual friend, Richard Lamdin, who had been working in the funeral business from the age of 16.

Alan gained some knowledge and advice from him and decided to open a funeral parlour in 1993. The first one was in Kingston and there are now 25 Alan Greenwood & Sons funeral parlours around Surrey and its outskirts. His son, Adam, started working for him and now runs the business.

Valerie continued to do the books in their offices in Kingston until she unexpectedly passed away on 1 February 2017. Valerie’s funeral was held at Hampton Court Palace where she had been baptised.

Alan’s sister, Mary, was already working in the Bookham office. The only sibling not working in his business was sister Susan, who lives in Australia.

Another sad time for Alan was when suddenly his then partner Sandy was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour and died two years later on 28 April 2019 at Woking Hospice.

Over the years Alan bought and had restored vintage fire engines which were his pride and joy, always perfectly clean and shining.

He was so proud of them, so much so that he used them for weddings and celebrations and, on 30 October 2021, he had a grand opening of Mimbridge Fire Station and Museum.

Alan leaves two sons, Adam and James, Adam’s daughter Carly and James’s wife Erika and their two beautiful children, AJ and Rosie.

Alan found happiness again when he met Carol Long, and they spent a lot of time together on Alan’s boat and going on frequent holidays.

It was in Tenerife that Alan died suddenly on 29 January at 5am, a terrible shock for Carol who found him and a shock for all of us who thought he was indestructible.

God bless you Alan, RIP. You have gone but will never be forgotten.

Alan Greenwood: October 1949 - January 2026