OBITUARY: Eric Ormond – a small man with a very big heart
Eric Ormond, who died in January aged 88, will long be mourned by those who knew him.
Diminutive in stature, Eric was huge in his concern for people, especially carers.
Caring for his wife with dementia convinced Eric of the vital importance of social contact for anyone feeling isolated.
Despite age and diabetes Eric took on the Sutton Bridge Carers Lunch Club, offering food and entertainment once a month at the Constitutional Club; he attended regular meetings of other caring organisations and was a regular at GP flu clinics offering advice to carers.
He also made house calls handing out packs of information to the families of those recently diagnosed with dementia.
Eric was passionate in all his interests, not least Blackpool Football Club from his youth in Lancashire.
Together with Frank Blades, greatly helped by Pauline Mountain MBE, Eric founded the Lincolnshire Carers and Young Carers Partnership (LCYCP) and set up a monthly newsletter.
Funding came from Lincolnshire County Council and the newsletter was eagerly welcomed by 14,000 carers who enjoyed its pithy comments, advice, contact data, useful information, recipes and gardening advice from Eric himself, a keen gardener and cake baker, his tea loaves and lemon biscuits always favourites.
Monthly editorial meetings in Spalding were always lively and stimulating, sometimes spiced with scorn for those in authority who failed to recognise the strains of caring.
Unfortunately the newsletter disappeared when funding was switched to an organisation from Kent. Eric took the blow stoically, no doubt sustained by his devout Catholic faith.
In recognition of his voluntary work and his diligent support to many charities, Eric was declared the winner of the Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum’s Excellence award for January-May 2017.
Letters from members of the lunch club to the Cabinet Office failed to gain government recognition but Eric will be remembered with great affection by his volunteer colleagues and, above all, blessed by innumerable carers.
His loyal team continues to run the Sutton Bridge Carers Lunch Club every second Wednesday from 11.30am until 3pm, a living memorial to a wonderful human being.
In the words of Lisa Simpson: “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”