Eric George Crowe (29 Jun 1937 - 21 Dec 2020)

In loving memory of Eric George Crowe who sadly passed away on 21st December 2020.

Eric was born in Saxlingham Thorpe on the 29 June 1937, son of Elena and William Crowe.
The youngest of four children, older brother William and sisters Betty and Gladys.

Eric went to junior school in Newton Flotman and secondary school at Long Stratton, he wasn’t particularly academic and his teachers wouldn’t have described him as a model student, often finding himself in trouble.

Eric left school at 15 to help his mum Elena Support the family after his dad left the family home.
His first full time job was at Catchpole’s a family run village shop in Newton Flotman where he worked as delivery boy, shop assistant and store man

In 1955 Eric began his two years national service in the army, after initial combat training, he trained in the catering corp. Eric was posted to Germany, where he witnessed first hand the destruction caused by WWII.

During his national service Eric became an accomplished boxer, and he was asked to go into professional boxing, something he chose not to pursue, instead returning to his job at Catchpole’s where he trained to be a butcher.

Eric loved running and anyone who caught the 7:20 a.m. bus in the morning in those days would recall him arriving at the bus stop at the end of a run every morning to meet Brenda before she caught the bus for work.

Eric married the then Brenda Crook on 25 Feb 1961 at Saxlingham Nethergate church.

In addition to his boxing and running Eric played football and cricket for Saxlingham. Playing football until he broke his leg and Brenda burnt his boots.

Eric was never afraid of hard work and often took on other ventures to support the family, keeping pigs and turkeys at different times and a taking on a Sunday paper business for many years.

Brenda and Eric’s first child, son Andrew was born in Sept 1965.

Daughter Alison was born three years later on in July 1968

When Catchpole’s closed in the mid-70’s, Eric decided to follow a different career path, despite offers to continue in butchery. He wanting a job working outside because of his love for the countryside and being outdoors. He took a job with Norfolk County Council Highway department and soon became a foreman, where he stayed until he retired at the age of 65 in 2002.

In retirement Eric never stopped working, continuing to get up at 5:00 am every morning to walk his greyhounds and tend to his garden which he loved, particularly vegetable gardening but he also loved the challenge of growing shrubs and flowers from cuttings.

Greyhound racing was Eric’s real passion in life. From when he first climbing into City Stadium in Norwich at the age of 15 to watch the racing, but in later paying to attend Yarmouth stadium, where he could be found twice a week for many years.

Eric owned and trained greyhounds for more than 40 years, his first dog Express Midge brought him his first trophy as a trainer. Eric won numerous trophies but his biggest achievement was getting to the semi final of the East Anglian Derby.

Son Andrew was married to Gillian Phillips in 1987, giving rise too one of the few, and possibly the last occasion, Eric went shopping in Norwich, to buy his new suit for the wedding.

Eric became a grandad in 1991 with the birth of Andrew and Gillian’s first son Ashley and again in 1984 when Stephen was born. In 2016 Eric became a Great Grandad when Ashley’s son Harley was born, on whom Eric doted. Never happier than when he was picking vegetables or strawberries with him from the garden, as he had with both Ashley and Stephen before.

Eric would have been married to Brenda for 60 years in Feb this year. In all those years there were few cross words, however Brenda recalls a couple of Christmas days when Eric went to the pub for the then traditional pre Christmas lunch drink with the neighbours. On one occasion when they failed to appear for lunch Brenda took the greyhounds to the pub and let them in, and was less than impressed when neither Eric nor the dogs returned. On the second occasion Eric, ably assisted by the same neighbours attempted to put up gate posts on Christmas afternoon only to realise next day they faced opposite ways and they couldn’t hang the gates.

Eric lead a full and fruitful life. He was a hard working and devoted family man, a good husband, a good father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was someone who had a high moral compass, tough but fair in all aspects of his life. Always willing to help anyone but didn’t suffering fools gladly.

He will be sorely missed by, and forever be in the thoughts of, all those he leaves behind.