Denis Stuart MacGregor MBE: 1935-2021 

Denis staunchly attended Mansfield Road Baptist Church, and was awarded an MBE for his services to The Boys’ Brigade in 2015

Denis staunchly attended the very well supported and active Mansfield Road Baptist Church and became a church member in 1953. He did voluntary work on the Fabric Committee and saved the church a great deal of expense through his practical help with the maintenance and improvement of the church buildings. For many years he was a Sunday School teacher and he and wife, Anne, ran the coffee bar and luncheon club which were open to anyone and he also became a church steward visiting church members. More recently Denis and Anne organised a coffee shop for the local community for which they give their time every week.

For over 40 years Denis worked for the Stag Cabinet Company/Stag Meredew Furniture Limited and for some time was in charge of the Company Training School. He was instrumental in helping many apprentices to find their feet in life. He retired from the firm some 23 years ago.

After professional retirement Denis continued with his work as Captain of the 14th Nottingham Company of The Boys’ Brigade and successfully resisted pressure from an anti-uniform lobby within the church to close his Company. The church is located at a very busy main junction and Denis organised his boys to maintain the Church garden both as part of their community involvement and to improve the environment at this site.

On 10 May 2007 Anne and Denis won the Coroner’s Special Award for service to the community through their work in The Boys’ Brigade and particularly in the 14th Nottingham Company as part of The Nottingham Evening Post and BBC Radio Nottingham’s Reach Out Awards 2007, having been nominated by a former Company member and they were presented with the award at a special ceremony at County Hall. In the Queen’s New Years’ Honours List in January 2015 he was awarded an MBE for his services to The Boys’ Brigade.

Denis and Anne celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2016 but he has suffered failing health in recent years and eventually they moved into sheltered accommodation next to the church. Denis was 85 years old in 2020 and regrettably died on 12 April 2021 leaving Anne, son, Andrew, and one granddaughter. 

Keith Vinerd