David Hodgson (F/G 42-46)

“David Usher Hodgson, who died on 24th February 2010 aged 82, initially attended Keswick School until going to St Bees School in 1942.
He later served in the Royal Army Service Corps in Egypt looking after German prisoners of war and, after completing his service, he returned to Keswick to join the family building business under the direction of his father.
In 1949 he enrolled in a two-year course in Building Construction and Management at Manchester University, where he met his life-long friend John Bower. Living in Oxford Lodge, part of the Hulme Hall of residence, David and John joined in the lively social scene along with many other ex-servicemen there.
David’s keenest sport was rugby and he played fullback for the university 1st XV.
He had played for Keswick since his first game against Aspatria on September 11 1948.
Altogether David made 108 appearances for the town and was captain from 1955 to 1957, winning a Cumbria Cup medal with Keswick RUFC.
He retired from playing in 1957 after breaking his arm, but was a committee member from 1958 to 2004, chairman from 1971 to 1974 and club president from 1990 to 1992, when he was made an honorary life member – a remarkable record of service to his club.
At county level, David received his cap in 1950 and was president in 1976.
In parallel with rugby, one of David’s many interests was Freemasonry and he was initiated into Derwentwater Lodge No: 6375 in March 1954. He progressed through all the offices in the Lodge, becoming Master in 1969.
In 1996 he was appointed as Lodge Almoner, an office he greatly enjoyed and which he carried out to the highest standards of the institution.
David’s other great sporting interest was cricket.
He was proposed for membership of the MCC in the early 1980s and, to his delight, was elected to be a member some years later.
He had a small but excellent cricket library which he would lend to friends, and could be found at Lords for the Test matches each year, often accompanied by members of his family.
Despite all these interests David did find time to meet and marry the love of his life Erica – or Pix as she was familiarly known to many – and they married in Crosthwaite Church on April 30 1952. They settled down and in due course acquired Greta Lodge and their three children Janet, Mark and Simon, and, together with their black labrador Beech, and later Skipper, they formed a lovely family group.
Over four decades, David served as a governor of Keswick School from the 1960s into the 1990s, a quarter of the time as vice-chairman.
David suffered a terrible blow when Erica passed away in 2004, but slowly restored some of his routines, even mastering cooking and gardening, both great passions of Erica’s.
A true Cumbrian, proud of his county and country, David was a loving father and grandfather, and leaves his children Janet, Mark and Simon, and grandchildren James, Alice, Rebecca, Hannah and Emily.”