It has to be said that the death of a 93 year old in the village would commonly raise the comment that “he had a good innings”. But, rather like those obituaries in The Times, which leave you with the impression that “life was different then” and “what a life to have led”, you have to burrow into the background to try to understand what went before. Alec Kravis was such a man. He had lived in Brampton for 32 years or so until his death.. He could be difficult, charitable, friendly, helpful and impossible. In many ways the characteristics of a man who had seen a lot of life.  Who would have guessed that he was born in the East End of London. It also helps if you speak six languages.

Few could expect or hope to collect their skis from their usual hotel at the summit of a mountain near Kitzbuhel, Austria annually into their nineties. But Alec did. In fact he was recognised with the Honorary Citizenship of the town for his longevity and skill honed over many years. 

Alec had fought his way up through Italy as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Signals during WW2. Promoted to Captain, he was posted to the British Zone of the four Allied Powers in Vienna. This was the Vienna of Graham Green’s The Third Man; that of the film and Harry Lime, oozing out of the shadows in that divided city.

After the War Alec attended London University where he studied engineering, building on his experience in training radar operatives. Married to Dinah and with two children (later three) they opened and ran a café at Rigg’s Retreat in Epping Forest.

In 1950 they moved to Maldon, Essex after Alec joined had Marconi, where he renovated a run-down house at 91 High Street.

US Patent No.3,221,332 dated 30th November 1965 carries his name for an antennae design. Promoted to Project Manager, he ran a number of military communication projects, most notably SCAT (Satellite Communications Air Transportable). Although on a tight schedule, Marconi won a substantial order because the project had been achieved on time .  For his work he was awarded the OBE in the New Year’s Honours list of 1st January 1967.

Soon after this Alec joined the European Space Agency and was based in Katwijk, Holland where he remained until he and Dinah moved to Brampton in 1980.

Alec loved making and repairing wooden items and had a substantial machine-based workshop . He also had a love of the arts, particularly classical music, films, poetry and plays.

Towards the end of his life he continued to express opinions especially about politics.  He campaigned for fellow sufferers of a debilitating facial condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, a painful condition of which he was a sufferer.

Alec was a great traveller. With a son living in Australia, it provided the perfect excuse to travel extensively during the winter months. There is hardly a country between Heathrow and Australia not visited by him. A perfect example of his driven curiosity and love of art was a trip made to Wawel Castle, Krakow  in Poland with the specific aim of seeing Leaonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the Lady with an Ermine.  

Alec demonstrated that with an indomitable spirit, there are no boundaries to what can be achieved for those with an ageless curiosity.

Alex’s funeral was held on the 14th August at St Faiths Crematorium near Norwich.