Roddie Cunnington's Obituary

Roddie Cunnington

29 June 1926 – 19 April 2011

Roddie was a Cowes man born and bred. His father died when he was young, being killed travelling home from work one night on his motorbike. The Royal Yacht Squadron had employed him making model boats.
When he left school he began as a toolmaker apprenticeship at Saunders Roe in the middle of which he had to leave to do his National Service for the RAF. After completion of this he immigrated to Canada but only stayed there for a couple of years as being a kindly man, he returned to look after his mother who was unwell. At this time he began working for the Cowes Boat Building Company. This was based on what is now the CCYC site where the marquee is. It was owned by ‘Tiny’ Mitchell, the man responsible for the opening of the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club who set it up in 1952 to cater for the needs of the local crew who had nowhere else to go in those days as they were not allowed into the other clubs and he sited it on the land next to his boat building business. Roddie was one of the founder members.
‘Tiny’ Mitchell died ten years later and the company closed. Roddie began work for Shirlaws Sailmakers where he made covers for boats. He later joined forces with Joy Summers, still a Club member, to form Medina Cover Craft. A small warehouse was rented in Arctic Road, which Roddie, despite having a ‘gammy’ arm caused by having a TB shoulder which restricted movement in his arm, renovated by laying a new floor and fitting a toilet and the business began. Together they made upholstery and did other boat cover work for all the boatyards in and around Cowes, which proved to be a busy and successful business. Roddie continued working there until his retirement, Joy having retired several years earlier.
He met Trecia and one day when he was complaining about having to decorate his house, she offered her help. The relationship was cemented over the paintbrush and the two were married in 1977. Roddie gained a ready-made family in Trecia’s daughter Jane and her children Chester and Catherine who Roddie treated as his own family.
Sadly his wife died in 1988, which devastated him but with the support of the CCYC club members he managed to get through this difficult time. Over the years Roddie adopted his ‘own’ chair at the Club that would always be ready for him when he arrived. In the afternoon, when it was time to leave to dress for the evening, his catch phrase was, ‘I have got to go home to get the body ready for tonight!’ In his latter years he was to be seen in the club on Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. He would address everyone with a cheery, ‘Hello Nipper’ whatever their age.
Andy Cassell first met Roddie when he was nineteen and Roddie thirty-five. Andy believed that Roddie was a true ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ character, being one of the most consistent members of the famous (infamous!) ‘Friday lunchtime club’ at the CCYC where he would meet up with members including Ian Lallow, Tom Blow, Ken Meynall, Murray Smith, Mike Cave, John Bowring, Vern Bowen and others of the Race Committee to put the world to right and additionally organise the following week’s racing events.
He would leave the Club after a good many bevvies, on his bicycle on which he would ride home at break neck speed, his unbuttoned jacket flowing. On one occasion, hearing a car behind, he looked around and discovered a police car was following him! This put him completely off course; he swerved off the road and into a hedge. The police stopped, put his bike in the back of their car and took him home. He appeared at the Club the following day sporting two black eyes. On occasion Andy and other Club members have been known to drive him home a little worse for wear. He only gave his bicycle up last year.
Over the years Roddie sailed in a good many different types of boat. They included ‘Stars,’ ‘Finns,’ and his Uffa Fox Cub but his favourite was probably the Flying Fifteen, which he crewed for many years with Joy Summers, who had at one time been secretary to Uffa Fox, the Flying Fifteen designer. One day when racing over the Shrape mud, dodging the tide, a large wave filled the boat with water. The boat was only fitted with rubber buoyancy tanks. Joy seeing they had burst, said a few prayers waiting for the boat to sink. Roddie exclaimed, ‘Don’t know why you’re doing that He won’t help!’ However, straight after they were rescued so maybe He did help after all!
Roddie will be sadly missed by all the Club members who knew him and it is a quieter and more sombre place without him.