George Krasker (1947-1952)
Died 26th December 2019
My old friend George Krasker died from a heart attack on Boxing Day 2019 at his daughter’s house in Brimpsfield, Gloucestershire.
At MTS, George excelled in modern languages, and, an adjoining desk for four years, with some judicious cribbing, helped me to A Levels in French and German.
Our preoccupation was sailing, George having built a dinghy at his home in Ruislip. Members of the Ruislip Lido Sailing Club made us welcome, and unofficial departures on games afternoons gave much time on the water. Our sailing highlights were Easter cruises on the Norfolk Broads, from a boatyard prepared to let four young lads loose on a thirty-foot engineless sailing yacht. The other two crew in this quartet were Mitch (JS Mitchell), and Graham Kimber.
After MTS, George did National Service in the Royal Navy, serving two years on a mine disposal vessel, clearing East coast minefields, and blowing up wrecks.
Thereafter, he joined the Du Pont Company, rising through the ranks, moving to the Geneva HQ, with responsibilities in marketing and training, by now married to Linda, a former M&S human resource executive, with their two talented daughters.
On retirement, George and Linda moved to the Cotswolds, to the village of Little Rissington. They joined the Burton-on-the-Water Dramatic Society. As Stage Manager and Producer respectively, they put on many shows and pantomimes. A future plan was to be a joint commercial venture with their elder daughter and her husband, in the Cotswolds, and to this end, George built an artistic two-storey extension to his daughter’s home in Brimpsfield.
Unfortunately in 2010, as this was under way, George’s beloved wife died from a melanoma: George told me recently that he pined for Linda every day. Life became more difficult when five years ago George lost the use of his legs, resulting from low pressure hydrocephalus. However, living joint to family and grand-children, he managed very well in his own home. Visitors were received with spirit, and treated to his habitual acerbic wit. George never lost his sense of humour.
D Max Walker (1947- 1953)