Appeal for former students and friends to attend the funeral of sensei Brian Whitehouse

Brian Whitehouse, who died on Monday, January 27 at the age of 86, had lived with Davina Cranham for more than 30 years.

He moved into her family home when she was 12 years old, and had lived in East Grinstead for more than 50 years.

Davina said: "When he needed somewhere to move into urgently, he moved into my family home and never left.

"I went to his karate lessons and that's how he met my parents.

"I took on the role of next of kin around 2017, the same year he had a leg amputated and an eight month hospital stay."

Following his hospital stay, Brian moved to Acorn Lodge Care Home.

He was the sensei of the Shotokan Karate Club in East Grinstead, and had been teaching karate since the seventies.

He was also caretaker at Sackville School, and had been in the Territorial Army during the fifties as a line mechanic.

Davina said: "He was friendly, and had been a Scientologist for quite a long time.

"He had a passion for karate and teaching children martial arts.

"It would be nice to let as many people as possible know about his funeral, I just want to honour him."

She said how when her parents became ill he did a lot for the family, and always helped out around the house.

Davina said: "On a piece of paper in the hospital he had written 'she’s like a daughter to me', and I suppose in the last couple of years especially he really became like a member of my family.

"I am hoping to find any past students or friends to join me in giving him a send off that he deserves."

Brian's funeral is on Friday, March 6 at 11am in the memorial chapel of Surrey and Sussex Crematorium.

To find out more information, or to talk to Davina about going, please email [email protected], or call 01342 322436 or 07787197360.