Spalding Royal Naval Association veteran dies aged 85 as widow describes loss as leaving ‘a big hole’

Tributes have been paid to a veteran who had the navy ‘running through his veins’.

Keith Crawford MBE joined the navy when he was just 17 and served as chairman of Spalding Royal Naval Association for many years. He died of prostate cancer in December aged 85.

During his 23 year career, Mr Crawford served in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy as an aircraft electrician, serving on board aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal, HMS Victorious , HMS Hermes. His job took him and his wife Yvonne around the world.

Mrs Crawford, 85, said: “When Keith was away on detachment - which could be anywhere and everywhere - I went with him as much as I could.

“He had the navy running through his veins, We both did. We went all over the place and spent two years in Malta.

“The number of years he served and being chairman adds up to 135 years of commitment between us - his death has left a big hole.”

Keith and Yvonne met in Fosdyke at her parents’ fish and chip shop and married at All Saints Church in 1961.

She said: “Keith and his brother used to come to my parents’ shop.

“I used to doodle with a pencil on the side of a newspaper and one day Keith pinched my pencil and I told him off.

“He went to serve in Northern Ireland and we became pen friends. Years later he wrote me a note attached to a pencil that said ‘all of this because of this.’

The couple, who lived in Sutterton, were married for 63 years and have two children Stuart and Geraldine.

A familiar figure at services commemorating Remembrance Day and D-Day in Spalding, he received his MBE ten years ago from King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

The couple enjoyed dancing in their spare time but ill health struck when Keith suffered a stroke.

Yvonne said: “The stroke took all of his right side - fortunately he was left-handed which helped him.

“At the time doctors gave him 48 hours to live but he lasted another ten years- it never stopped him.”

Keith, who retired at the age of 70, devoted years as chairman to the association - which provides support to veterans and their families - as well as becoming national vice chair for five years.

The group meets at the Conservative Club in Spalding every second Thursday and the association has been a great support to Yvonne since Keith’s funeral at Surfleet Crematorium.

She said: They have been fantastic.

“There were 250 people at the funeral with 15 branches represented - as far away as Tewkesbury and Dorset.

“We had 18 guards of honour and seven standards.”

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