1:19pm Friday 7th September 2007
By Lisa Williams
Nigel Clark, a man known for his love of racing and significant charity fundraising, died during a family holiday in Cornwall.
Mr Clark, 71, was a very active man, and true to form he was competing in the third rowing race of the day at a local regatta when he suffered a suspected heart attack. He had won the two previous races.
He was chairman of the Kingston Can appeal to build the Sir William Rous cancer unit at Kingston Hospital.
Six weeks ago he attended a celebration to mark the appeal achieving its £4.5million target after a six-year campaign.
His fundraising colleague Ian Pay said his energy and commitment to fundraising was truly remarkable.
He said: "A man of tremendous energy and vitality, always full of new ideas, he was a perfect gentleman, a great leader and a most superb fundraiser.
"He helped Kingston Hospital immensely in his role as chairman of the appeal, both in terms of fundraising and in raising the profile of the charity. His charity horse racing days and greyhound evenings were quite simply the stuff of legends."
Racing was close to Mr Clark's heart. He was a Jockey Club member, a trustee of Racing Welfare and ex-president of the Racehorse Owners' Association. He was known in the racing world for chairing the committee which helped introduce Sunday racing in Britain.
As the Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Richmond (the Queen's representative in the borough) Mr Clark organised the Queen's visit to Bushy Park, during her Golden Jubilee year, in June 2002.
During Ascot week this year, Mr Clark had the fortune to dine with the Queen, and was actually seated next to her. He was also part of the Queen's carriage procession which made its way along the course that day.
His successful advertising career saw him work for Collett, Dickinson and Pearce, and Lowe Howard-Spink where he was the accounts director for, among others, the Mail on Sunday.
Mr Clark's funeral was held held on Wednesday at St Anthony-in-Meneage Church in Cornwall. A service of thanksgiving in London will follow shortly.
The family has asked for no flowers, and for any donations to be made to Great Ormand Street Hospital Children's Charity, c/o Pendle Funeral Services, The Firs, St Johns, Helston, TR13 8HN.
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