Tributes paid to popular Building Society Manager who has died suddenly

Alan Ellerton passed away suddenly on January 14, after an exceptional career spanning 52-years in the banking sector in Swansea and South West Wales.

Mr Ellerton was a well-known and well-regarded presence in the village of Mumbles, Swansea, having been the Branch Manager there since it became the Society’s first remote branch back in March 2010.

Originally from Llanelli, where he attended Llanelli Boys Grammar School, Mr Ellerton moved to Mumbles in 1987. He continued to play a full and active role within the local community, both professionally and personally, until his death last week.

A considerable period of Mr Ellerton’s exceptionally long career was spent at Barclays Bank, where he ended his tenure as Corporate Manager after 36 years.

He retired from Barclays in 2006 and was quickly offered a job at Swansea Building Society by its Chief Executive, Alun Williams, who had known Mr Ellerton professionally for a number of years.

Since the news of his passing, tributes have poured in across social media for Mr Ellerton, and the Society’s Chief Executive, Alun Williams, said that everyone at the Society – staff and customers – were all extremely shocked and saddened by the news of his sudden passing.

Alun Williams, Chief Executive, Swansea Building Society, said: “Everyone I have spoken to who knew Alan is deeply saddened by this news. I have known Alan since 1990, when I was Manager at the Bank of Wales in Carmarthen, and he was a Manager of Barclays in Neath. Although we were competitors at that time, we always got on very well and were very professional with each other in our dealings.

“Alan became our bank Manager at Barclays not long after I joined the Society, and he looked after our affairs there. He retired from Barclays in 2006 and I had no hesitation in contacting him and offering him a job at the Society that same year.

“He opened our first remote new Branch in March 2010 in Mumbles, and I know how proud he was to be given the honour of being our first remote branch Manager – and in particular when Mumbles made a contribution of over £1 million to the profits of the Society.

“He had recently celebrated his 70th birthday, and I know how much he was looking forward to carrying on working with the Society, its members and customers, and all of his colleagues. We will all miss him greatly.”

Mr Ellerton’s funeral will be held on Thursday 2nd February. Friends of the deceased are requested to meet for the service at Llanelli Crematorium at 10am. The wake will follow from 11am at New Dock Star Rugby club.

Mr Ellerton’s family and friends have expressed how touched they have been by all the kind words and messages they have received.

Lead image: Alan Ellerton, Mumbles Branch Manager, Swansea Building Society, who has died suddenly