Karabiner Mountaineering Club

September 1997 Newsletter Eric Flitcroft Obituary

ERIC FLITCROFT

Another key link with the foundation of the KMC has gone, Eric Flitcroft, Founder Member and the club's first Secretary has died in Seattle, Washington at the age of 75. Before the war his family owned a small millwrights business employed in fettling the spinning machines in the many cotton mills in and around Bury. With the outbreak of hostilities, Eric was sent to work on areo engines at the Napier factory in Liverpool, but on his days off headed for the hills of Wales and the Peak. There he met Plum and Robbie Worrall, Bob Elliot, Bow Black, the Uptons and others who were to help found the club in 1944 or join it soon after. Eric was a prime mover, with Harry Parker in the formulation of the Constitution which is basically the same today.

When he married his wife Joyce, also a KMC member, 1947 almost the entire club membership turned out for the wedding the went off in a body by car, motorbike or lorry (the Worralls went by tandem) to a meet at Pontesford, stopping en route to change from wedding gear to climbing duds behind a hedge. Eric and Joyce were married for 50 years all but a month and had three daughters. Post-war Britain proved thin pickings for millwrights, so Eric and Geoff Cockcroft emigrated to British Columbia, sending for their wives when they were settled. Geoff is there still but Eric moved to Seattle to work for the Boeing company on aircraft and hydrofoil high speed boats, eventually becoming a manager.

He never lost his interests with the KMC, keeping in contact by correspondence and thought the Newsletter, He and Joyce made a special point of being here for the 50th Dinner, He remained a keen explorer of the mountains around his adopted home and was amused by the fact that he had camped on a place that does not exist any more - the summit of Mount St Helens which blew off in a huge volcanic eruption.

Earlier this year he volunteered as a guinea pig for a programme of medical research at his local hospital. It was only after undergoing the preliminary tests that is was discovered he had leukaemia, previously unsuspected. He died only four months later on July 28th.

Derek Seddon.

P.S. In passing the sad news to Plum Worrall I leaned that Plum is still cycling and has just celebrated 75 years on wheels - he started aged 4. "and it's nearly time to wax my skis" he said "they've asked me to help out at Aviemore".

September 1997 Newsletter Index.