Born in Arundel in 1927, Eric Nash left school at the age of 14 to become a printer at the West
Sussex Gazette where his apprenticeship was interrupted by the Second World War. Called up
in 1945, he served in Venice, Padua, and Athens on the Army’s newspaper, The Union Jack, an
experience he never forgot.

Returning to England in 1947, he married Jasmine, his childhood sweetheart and had two
children (Alan and Carolyn) while still working at the newspaper during the day and a host of
part-time jobs in the evening and weekends to make ends meet.

The transfer of the West Sussex Gazette to Portsmouth in 1967 meant some years of daily
commuting until he was able to retire in 1989, the year he began work on his new house,
Kingfishers, along the Slipe.

But that short summary only catches a glimpse of all the things Eric did. Early activities
included:
- Stage manager and actor in the Arundel Players
- Show Secretary of the Arundel Flower Show, organized by the Allotment Garden
   Holders’ Association of which he and his father had been founding members
- Somehow, he found time to build a boat in these years.

More recent involvements have included one of over 60 years with the Arundel Museum of
which he was a founder with Pauline Carder. And, of course, he was active in the British Legion.

He also spent many hours in his allotment, cultivating runner beans, potatoes, strawberries,
carrots, onions, and pumpkins.

One of Arundel’s oldest mullets, Eric continued a lifelong attachment to St. Nicholas Parish
Church, living through (as he often said) 13 vicars, and assembling the Christmas crib at the
church for over 60 years.

A devoted parent, grandparent to Christopher and Emma, and great-grandfather to Mimi and
Drew, Eric would also always make time away from these activities to help build, fix or repair
whatever was needed from the almost limitless resources of his workshop – a place where he
spent many hours on his lathe “turning up” items for the museum to sell.

So much, and so much more. A life lived to the full indeed.