Mark Angel’s sporting passions in his teens were golf and football but the lure of the former led to him becoming a leading light in the PGA’s East region as opposed to Queens Park Rangers’ last line of defence.
Mark, who has passed away at the age of 68, rubbed shoulders with Rangers’ legends such as Gerry Francis and Stan Bowles as an apprentice goalkeeper at Loftus Road and honed his golfing skills at Malden Golf Club in Surrey.
“Football was his first love growing up, but he opted for a career in golf,” recalled Matthew Barr, his lifelong friend who is the PGA Professional at London Scottish Golf Club on Wimbledon Common, south-west London.
Mark went on to become an assistant pro at Malden, was elected to PGA Membership in 1979 and competed in tournaments worldwide. He played on Satellite tours in South Africa and the United States as well as the inaugural Polish Open and the Jamaican Open in Montego Bay, often in Matthew Barr’s company.
“We travelled the world playing golf together,” added Matthew Barr. “And we spoke to each other almost every day. He was always a cheerful character and a good people person. And he was never a cynical golf pro, was always full of life and saw the best in people.”
Having left Malden in 1981, Mark worked at several clubs in south-west London and the Surrey area during the decade that followed before heading across the Thames Estuary and the head pro’s position at Colchester Golf Club.
In addition to his role at the club, Mark served as PGA East captain, was PGA Essex chairman from 2001 to 2014 and a member of the PGA East Region Committee between 2007 and 2014. He was struck down by a serious illness during the following year and hospitalised for 12 months, five of which were spent in an induced coma. The condition left him blind for a while and severely affected his sight thereafter.
It did not, however, prevent him from playing regularly with fellow PGA Members Frank Hill, John Hudson and Stuart Levermore following his retirement in 2016.
Mark, who was made an Honorary PGA Member in 2020, is survived by Sally-Ann, his wife, and their three children, sons James and Douglas, and daughter Annabel, who works for LIV Golf in Dubai. The PGA extends heartfelt condolences to them on their loss.
*Mark’s funeral will be held at 14.30 on Friday August 22 at Colchester Crematorium, Mersea Road, Colchester, CO2 8RU, and followed by a reception at Colchester Golf Club, 21 Braiswick, Colchester, CO4 5AU. The family have requested no flowers but donations can be made to two local charities – the Rob George Foundation and the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation – either at the funeral service or online at www.mark-angel.muchloved.com.
The family is also compiling a slideshow of memories and if anyone has images of Mark they would like to share, these can be uploaded to the Much Loved page.
