Andrew Edward Scannell (1959-61)

Footballer and family man with a trademark grin

Andrew Scannell passed away peacefully in the Leonard Lodge Care Home, Shenfield on 14th September, following diagnoses of Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s. He was 82. The funeral took place at Bentley Crematorium, Pilgrim’s Hatch on October 12 th. His daughters Emma Sullam and Joe Loader shared their eulogy.

Andy was born on 18 th August 1944 and lived in Leytonstone until his mid-teens. His brother David was a year younger while his sister Susan was born eight years later. Andy and David attended the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow where the elder brother met his lifelong friend Graham Saville. Andy’s recollection of their japes and scrapes always remained crystal clear. When the family moved to Brentwood in 1959, the brothers transferred to Brentwood School.

Andy found this a “mixed” experience. He was a bright boy whose attention span made the classroom a challenging space. His cheeky nature often worked against him when dealing with authority. Told to cut his hair by a master who was totally bald, he retorted “well at least
I’ve got some hair!” He visited the Headmaster’s office more than most. Although at Brentwood only for a relatively short time, the friendships he made there and subsequently through the Old Brentwoods Society very much shaped the years ahead. In later years, he expressed regret at not taking enough advantage of his educational opportunities.

However, he loved sport, especially football. (The editor, often on the same pitch, recalls an old fashioned inside forward, short of pace but with a keen eye for the right pass). His passion for the game was reflected in his heartfelt support for West Ham.

He loved cricket and golf, as did his late wife Sue, who eventually became a fanatical follower of the latter. Together, they watched every championship avidly on the small screen.

After school, Andy started working for his father Frank in the meat trade. This involved early mornings at Smithfield Market and long days in the shop at Gidea Park. There he honed his butchery skills which were particularly appreciated by the family when employed on the Sunday roast. OB Phil Needham recalled Andy’s early days working in his father’s business. Somehow, meat and memorable sausages came the way of the Needham family.

His professional relationship with his father was not an easy one but he certainly admired and inherited his entrepreneurial spirit. Andy was a retailer at heart. He was a confident salesman behind the counter and no slouch on the other side. His ability to haggle for a deal was quite something, not least in bartering for a discount in Marks & Spencer.

“He was a hard grafter and worked until he was 78. He was a lover of life, an optimist and his glass was so often, perhaps at times unrealistically, full to the brim. When challenged, he would flash you a trademark cheeky grin and you couldn’t argue with him.”

What came up repeatedly in the messages of commiseration was the Scannell smile. “He had a wonderful, very well used smile. There’s barely a photo of him that didn’t have him grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Everything he did was undertaken to provide for his family and to give us a good life. It didn’t always go to plan but it did always come from  a good place. His pride in and love for his family extended massively to his five grandchildren Ben, Sam, Will, Cass and Eliza and to Liv as a sixth member ‘of that gang.’ He had a wonderful relationship with his sons-in-law Phil and Dan.”

After 56 years together since their marriage in 1969, Andy never recovered from the sadness and shock of losing his wife Sue very suddenly in April 2025. His health and mobility deteriorated rapidly after her death.

Despite the grief of losing his wife, Joe said her father remained “appreciative of family and friends, kind and respectful to those who cared for him, keeping his sense of humour and cheeky personality until the end. He had the biggest heart and the most giving nature. We could not have been more proud of how he coped with the last difficult year of his life.”

Andrew Scannell is survived by his daughters and by five grandchildren