In loving memory of Robin Goodchild who sadly passed away on Thursday 4th February 2021, aged 76 years.
Robin was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1945. He was the eldest son of Rosina and Stanley Goodchild and had 3 siblings: Derek, Susan and Jane. His early life he spent living in Bromley, Kent, before going to university in Southampton and then on to Nottingham University where he completed his PGCE for his career in teaching.
Robin touched many lives during his life, through his work as a teacher in Derby, first at Noel Baker School, then Lees-Brook School in Chaddesden, before moving to Wilmorton Tertiary College where he worked until he retired.
In retirement, Robin joined the Derby Mountain Rescue Team where he was an active operational member and driver for the team for many years, before taking over the role of team fund-raising officer when he left the operational team.
Outside work and duties for DMRT, Robin loved hill-walking and in the last few years, one of the highlights each year was the annual boys' walking trip where Robin, his son Richard and his grandson Joe, enjoyed a few nights away each July, walking the hills of Shropshire. These trips, as well as holidays away with his beloved wife of over 50 years, Joan, and time spent with his children and grandchildren, were what Robin lived for. He loved his family and always enjoyed our times together, which made the last year of his life so difficult for him: the lockdowns and restrictions on families meeting deprived him of spending time with his children and grandchildren, which he found unbearable, especially at Christmas last year.
Robin's death has understandably hit us all very hard, as although in recent years, Robin had battled several health issues, we wanted just a little more time with him in some form of normal life where we could once again get together and eat, drink and have a laugh as a family. Unfortunately that wasn't to be.
We will remember Robin as a quiet, polite man with a quick, dry wit, always generous to a fault and with a set of morals and values that we can all aspire to. We will remember him laughing until his eyes watered as Richard and Sarah exchanged good-natured insults at family meals; we will remember the long walks with the man someone described as "like a mountain goat"; we will remember him toiling away in his vegetable garden to grow the fantastic fruit and veg we all enjoyed; most of all we will remember some of the best times of our lives spent with a humble and self-effacing man who would have done anything for his family.
Wherever you are now, Robin, we hope you are at peace. Thank you for all that you were to each of us and for being the best husband / dad / granddad that anyone could hope for.
All our love,
Joan, Richard and Sarah.
xxx
Robin was a keen supporter of several charities, both local and national. We have selected three charities for anyone wishing to make a donation: Cancer Research UK (Robin twice beat cancer in the last 10 years), Alzheimer's Society (both of Robin's parents suffered with this disease) and of course the Derby Mountain Rescue Team. Donation links to the first two charities can be found on this page. For DMRT, please send donations to the funeral director at the following address:
A. W. Lymn Littleover,
521 Burton Road,
Littleover,
Derbyshire,
DE23 6FT.
We would respectfully ask for donations to be made to these charities rather than the sending of flowers to the family.
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