Business

In conditions of strict secrecy the first North Sea oil was brought to Great Yarmouth in late 1969. Within months, the 'oil boom' had transformed the country's battered economy.

Petroleum engineer Brendan McKeown, 86, carried the oil in a pickle jar. He took the container to Amoco's Great Yarmouth office in September 1969 when the sample was tested. He was voted the town's first oil baron of the year in 1986, when he was also made an OBE in the year that he retired.

Patrick Edge OBE, who was a campaigner for the disabled and revitalised a chain of restaurants in Norwich and Norfolk, died aged 96. He was awarded the DSC for his role in the war's biggest E-boat battle off Cromer in October 1943.

A pioneer of safer and more environmentally-friendly boating holidays on the Broads, Alan Maffett, died aged 91. He started a boat hire business and actively promoted safety by designing better craft.

A fifth generation of Croydon Jewellers, Robert Croydon, who died aged 67 in April, bought the Winsor Bishop business in Norwich's London Street, in 2001.

Apprentice engineer Felix Heidenstam, who died aged 92, started on the shop floor of one of Norwich's biggest employers, Laurence Scott & Electromotors. His expertise in tracking gun systems for anti-aircraft batteries was invaluable during the second world war and later he became a main board director of LSE.

A window-cleaning business started at Wroxham by Charles Bizley, 95, became one of the country's largest specialist contractors. He started cleaning windows in April 1946 and within 30 years was employing 1,500 staff across East Anglia

Senior print executive Frederick Jude, 97, oversaw the rapid expansion of what became Fakenham's biggest employer. After 40 years, when he retired, printers and bookbinders Cox & Wyman employed 600 staff.

Kenneth Henderson, left, 97, led a revolution in investment strategy at Norwich Union. In his 20 years at Norwich Union (now Aviva), he transformed investment returns as the value of commercial property and land holdings rose from �10m to �100m. When he joined the then mutual, it had assets of �30m and over his 44-year career, it grew to about �1.1bn as investments moved from low-yielding fixed interest stocks into equities and real estate.

Retired Diss businessman Doug Bartlett, right, who established a flourishing electronics factory, died aged 87. At the height of its success, Alma Components, employed 300 people in the town. The business had been started after the war and, by chance, when a proposed moved to Portsmouth fell through, it came to Park Road, Diss, in 1959. Rapid expansion followed over the next 15 years.

Graham Sturrock, left, 88, was at the helm of Palmers, of Great Yarmouth, the country's oldest independent department stores for more than two decades.

Leading Norwich businessman Hy Kurzner, aged 78, ran Hy's Nightclub, Boswells bar and Pizza One.

Teaching

Dorothy Bartholomew MBE, left, who died aged 97 in September at her Norwich home, was a great and much-loved headmistress for 22 years and a tireless campaigner for Christian Aid. When she retired in the centenary year of Norwich High School for Girls in December 1975, there were 730 pupils on the roll.

For generations of children in central Norfolk, headteacher Bill Trett, who died aged 96 in January, was 'Mr Toftwood'. And Donald Feltwell, who taught at Feltwell Primary School for 35 years, was 79. Some of his star pupils included weather forecaster Jim Bacon, two members of the 1997 Eurovision Song contest-winning band Katrina and the Waves and triple world Ironman champion, triathlete Chrissie Wellington.

Peter Ingate, deputy headteacher at Langley, 82, had a remarkable 60-year connection with the same school.

Morgan Kendle, 93, was clerk to Loddon Town Council and devised the distinctive town's sign. In 1953, he became PE teacher, with history and English, at Loddon Secondary Modern School and retired after 27 years as senior master at what had become Hobart High School.

Jim Searle, 77, was an inspirational teacher of sailing. He became Norfolk County Council's new sailing adviser in 1970 and, with wife Jill, made the centres at Filby and Ludham into bases of sailing excellence for many youngsters.

Community

One of the country's major conservationists and preservationists, East Anglian landowner the Duke of Grafton, died four days after his 92nd birthday.

In the House of Lords, he spoke on the arts and was involved with many of the country's leading museums and galleries.

In 1976, he had been made a knight of the garter in the throne room of Windsor Castle. He had succeeded as the 11th duke in 1970 and ran the 11,000-acre Euston estate on the Suffolk border with Norfolk for many years.

Ian Coutts CBE, who led Norfolk County Council in the 1970s, died aged 84. In his 45-year career, he was hugely influential on the local and national stage and was also a director of Norwich City FC for eight years. At his last annual meeting in 1983, the Canaries made a trading profit for the first time of �172,705 – a turnaround of half a million on the previous year.

Charles Loades, 96, was the founder of the Mundesley Festival in 1985, while a community stalwart, Ken Cracknell MBE, 84, was dubbed 'Mr Beccles' for his fund-raising and Diana Mansell, 83, recorded the local history and heritage of the Burnhams in North Norfolk.

Royle Drew, who died at his Wymondham home aged 78, stood for parliament as a Liberal MP in 1970 in Central Norfolk. He had a 30-year career with Norwich Union until retiring early in 1992.

Norwich Crown Court recorder David Crome, right, who died at his Beccles home, aged 73, enjoyed a judicial appointment of a lifetime – two years in the Solomon Islands. A former Liberal candidate, he stood at the 1966 and 1970 elections and was a lay preacher for many years.

Mid-Norfolk magistrate Alistair McLean MBE, who died aged 85 at his Beetley home, had a remarkable record in local elections – on every occasion standing for seats at district or county, he always topped the poll.

Local government officer Kathleen Johnson, right, who died eight days before her 100th birthday, was the first woman elected president of Nalgo's Norwich branch in 1969, ending a 50-year tradition of male union domination in the 950-strong branch.

For generations of Fenland readers, George Wells, 82, of Wisbech, was the face of the EDP. When he retired in May 1981 after 28 years as district reporter, Fenland District council made a rare, if not unique, award of an individual civic shield to an exemplary journalist of class and quality.

An enthusiastic walker, author and D-Day veteran, Charles Boldero, who died suddenly at his North Norfolk home aged 87, gave pleasure to EDP readers over a quarter of a century. Since 1986, he and his wife, Joy, wrote more than 1,500 walks for the EDP.

Banker, soldier, farmer and priest, the Rev Mark Wathen, left, died in his 100th year at home. A High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1968, he was a local director of Barclays Bank and had been Master of the Mercers' Company in 1962.

Julian Foster was chairman of Central Norwich Citizens' Forum and the city centre's safer neighbourhood action panel. A promoter of the city centre's night-time economy, he died this month following a short battle with cancer.

Caring professions

A pioneer of the hospice movement and a Norfolk priest, Dr John Talbot, 88, was medical director of Priscilla Bacon Lodge in Norwich. In his eight-year tenure, he helped to launch a �400,000 appeal in 1985 to extend facilities for patients with terminal illness.

Norwich midwife Kathleen Savidge, 95, delivered more than 2,300 babies in her 27-year career.

A leading Norwich GP, Richard Ashbee, 82, was in practice when they were expected to provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week care for about 12,000 patients. One Christmas morning, he took 36 calls at home before midday.

John Blaxill, a former flying doctor, who died peacefully at his Breckland home, was a long-serving GP at Watton.

Michael Clement, 91, was a founder of the Norwich branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society. He retired in 1984 as senior partner of the Reepham Road practice after 36 years.

Religion

East Anglia's Roman Catholic bishop the Rt Rev Michael Evans died in July aged 59. He became the third bishop of East Anglia on St Valentine's Day 2003 when he was appointed by Pope John Paul II. Despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer almost six years earlier, he continued his ministry to the end. He joined the centenary celebration of the country's second largest Roman Catholic cathedral in 2010 at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist.

Monsignor Edward McBride, 91, was a much-loved priest serving East Anglia for 68 years. The first vicar general of East Anglia, he had played a vital role raising funds to restore the cathedral.

Norwich-born Canon Peter Green, who died two days after his 78th birthday, fostered close links between Anglican and Methodists. A highlight was celebrating the 500th anniversary of Holy Trinity, Loddon, in 1990, where he was vicar.

Cyril Westgate, who died aged 90 at his Acle home, preached for 73 years in his native East Norfolk Methodist Circuit.

Former naval officer and Thetford vicar the Rev Charles Hall, 70, taught generations of youngsters to sail on the Broads.

A headteacher at Swaffham's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Sister Margaret Carolan, died aged 81.

Canon Alan Neech, left, aged 95, was a missionary in northern Indian for 30 years before returning to spend the last third of his life in South Norfolk.

A Methodist minister for more than 40 years, the Rev Edwin Softley, right, born at Thuxton, near Dereham, died aged 77. He had a great love of music, was a good organist and composed a poem for the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.

Broadcaster and author, the Rev Colin Riches, left, 82, became a voice of Methodism in his native Norfolk. His biblical stories in broad Norfolk featured on Anglia TV from 1975. He was also a successful dialect author and regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Norfolk.

Sport

Chief driving test examiner Bill Smith OBE, right, who was the 'Voice of the Firs' for generations of speedways fans, died aged 89. As chairman of Norwich Speedway Supporters' Club, he presided at the last meeting on November 4, 1964 at The Firs, Hellesdon.

Connie Riches, left, 90, was a founding director of Snetterton's motor racing circuit. She and husband Fred transformed part of South Farm, Hargham, into a venue which attracted crowds of 50,000 and international drivers in the '50s and '60s.

Norwich coal merchant Kenny Blanch, 87, was joint owner of one of the most remarkable racehorses in recent years. He bought Sprowston Boy as a yearling with friend Geoff Whiting for �4,500 – it won 13 races and more than �100,000 in prize money. He caused bookmakers real pain when Gay Kelleway rode to victory at Ascot at 12-1 and then beat one of the Queen's horses at Sandown later that year. He won three times at Fakenham including his last in the Prince of Wales Cup in May 1996 – making up 20 lengths.

A leading cricket umpire, Ted Childs, 84, promoted the highest standard of play in Norfolk for more than five decades. Regional and county training officer for Norfolk Cricket Umpires' Association, he stood at the first Carter Cup final in 1969.

A driving force behind the spectacular early success of Team Lotus was racing manager Jim Endruweit, 83. He was chief mechanic when Jim Clark won his first world championship for Lotus in 1963 and again two years later. He became Colin Chapman's right-hand man after Team Lotus had been formed in 1957.