MEMORY master and world record breaker Creighton Carvello, pictued below, has died - just days after celebrating his 64th birthday.
Friends paid tribute to the Teesside legend immortalised in the pages of the Guinness Book of Records.
Pal Kev Mitchell, of Middlesbrough, said: "He was a legend.
"He travelled all over the world and proved himself and he was a good ambassador for Teesside.
"You could crack jokes and have a good laugh with him. He was dry and witty."
Kev travelled the length and breadth of the country with Creighton during his Guinness Record roadshows.
There he would show off his baffling feats, which included reciting huge numbers seen only at a glance and the sequences of six packs of cards, memorising more than 20,000 digits in a row and obscure sporting facts.
But Creighton didn't stop at British shores. He went to competitions across the globe and came home with handfuls of international records.
Kev penned a song called Memory Man in celebration of Creighton's mind-boggling achievements.
"I actually got him into horse racing and football because it wasn't his speciality," he remembered.
The song's lyrics told of how Creighton was an expert in reciting football and racing trivia, when, in fact, he wasn't.
So he started swotting up, just in case anyone tried to test him, and became an expert, Kev said.
Not content with simply being the subject of a ditty, Creighton wrote songs himself, including Boro You're the Greatest which appeared on Middlesbrough FC's album The Sound Of The Riverside.
It was his toolbox of talents that led to him being described as "the world's most talented man" by Record Holders Republic, a registry of official world records.
But nine months ago, the wedding photographer, portrait artist and former psychiatric nurse became seriously ill after suffering a stroke at his Linthorpe home.
Paralysed, he survived for four days without food or water until friend, Billy Wright, found him. The stroke took its toll on his body but his incredible mind was unaffected.
When the Gazette visited him in hospital last February, he said he was passing time by imagining massive card sequences - one of his specialities - and reading.
After a long stay in Middlesbrough's Carter Bequest Hospital, Creighton was moved to a care home in Linthorpe, but died from complications arising from diabetes.
"Everybody would ask me 'is his memory OK?'" said Billy, 54, of Teesville.
"And it was. He'll always be remembered for his memory."
He added his friend of 15 years was the sort of man who was once met, never forgotten.
"He left a wonderful legacy."
Recalling the life of a legend...
Creighton Carvello began fine-tuning his memory aged just seven, when he collected and memorised football cards.
He broke his first world record in his thirties. Among his later feats were:
1980: Memorised staggering 20,013 numbers in sequence at Saltscar School, Redcar.
1987: In Guinness Book of Records after memorising the order of six packs of shuffled playing cards seen once.
2003: Set a world record by recalling 3,500 facts about every FA Cup Final since 1872.
2004: Won a place in the Book of Alternative Records for memorising 17 random digits seen for two seconds, and
Once recalled the telephone number of every Smith in the Middlesbrough phone book.
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creighton you will always be remembered.
you were a brilliant man and always come to me & jacks karaoke even you didn't get up and sing.
also you were a excellent photographer,
r.i.p creighton we will all miss you.
michelle/ormesby
I first met Creighton in 1974 when I stsrted work at ST Lukes. He was always there to chat help you out and tell stories.Had many fun times. Gone but never forgotten
I only met this man once. My workmate
introduced us on a night out with the lads
in 1991. I will never forget him, he was
a wonderful man, my condolences go out to
his family and friends.
I never met Creighton, but he was a great inspiration for all the memory men and women in the world today. He's not a name that will ever be forgotten.
Aww bless, Creighton will be sadly missed by a lot of people. He took wonderful photos at my Daughters weddings in 2004 and 2006.
Sympathy goes to all his family and friends.
Creighton Carvello was one of the brightest guys in the class at St Joseph's mixed primary and at St Mary's College, M'bro in my time.
Penetrating eyes and a winning smile.
R.I.P.
Creighton did our wedding photos 3 years ago and my sisters the year before that. He was a lovely man and gave us beautiful wedding photos to cherish for the rest of our lives.
Creighton will never be forgotten in the Memory World. Not just for his memory rather, for his contribution.
Very sad news about an incredibly happy, funny and generous character whom I met in memory competitions in the 1990s.
Creighton was exceptional because he didn't use the location method, thus his 20,013 digit recitation of pi remains an even greater performance than it looks.
Why the extra 13 digits? He once candidly explained that he got the 13th digit wrong. And for some technical reason he couldn't start afresh, so he merely continued until he had a perfect run of 20,000 - astonishingly he had bothered to learn at least 13 extra digits!
As a late challenge to the record books, I offer the following poem by Creighton Carvello: I, Pi.
I explained that he can't be beaten because pi is a single letter in Greek.
Thanks for your humour and inspiration to us all.
Andi Bell
Creighton was a great friend and work colleague, always cheerful and full of jokes ( corny but funny ).
Will miss you, along with Middlesbrough.
I remember you before you were famous Creighton when we worked at St Lukes Hosp. You came to a few parties in our house and entertained us all night with your piano playing and your wit. You had a wealth of talents and a big personality. It was a pleasure to know you. RIP
From one mnemonist to another - Creighton you enriched more people's lives than you ever knew. R.I.P.
a funny man with a kind heart you will be missed by many. rest in peace creighton. x Teresa
I was sixteen in 1969 when I first met Creighton on a bus going to Lackenby. He asked the conductress for a fare of one and a banana. After several requests he asked for one and fyffe (1s 5d). I joined his 'social set' inc Billy Brown etc. and was soon enjoying the Excel Night Club once or twice a week. The earliest memory trick I remember was in the early '70s when coming home from a Match at Burnley Creighton jumped off the bus and bought a pink sports gazette. He studied the results for one or two mins and as the bus set off into the dark night he recited the first second and third div scores from memory.
I haven't seen you too often but will treasure the many memories you have given me.
George Metcalfe
we had the pleasure of meeting Creighton in 2007 when he did our wedding photos. They were fantastic and cheap ! He did it for a hobby and to give pleasure to others, he told us. see. There was only one setback, he was late delivering them, the worlds greatest memory man said he had forgotten our address !!!
I worked with Creighton at St Luke's Hospital in the 70's . He was a great guy - kind witty and extremely talented . As well as having an extraordinary memory ,he was a talented artist,and always had time for patients and colleages . You will be missed Creighton. - Jean Vogler California USA