Tributes have been paid a "one in a million" Liverpool man who has died aged 100.
Born December 10, 1922, Alfred Ridpath, known as Alf, had lived in the same house in West Derby since leaving the RAF in 1947. An accomplished artist, Alf joined the RAF at the beginning of World War II aged just 17; he was part of a Lancaster bomber crew flying operations over Germany and parts of Nazi occupied Europe.
After the war, Alf bought a house in West Derby using the £100 he received on leaving the forces as a deposit and from there he set up home with wife Joan and son David. However, in later years he struggled with dementia and on January 17, Alf died aged 100, just weeks after celebrating his milestone birthday.
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With no surviving family - his wife Joan died more than 10-years ago and his only son, David, died last year - it would be easy for Alf's story to become lost. But his friends don't want that to happen and think its important to keep his legacy alive.
Paying tribute, Alf's carer of 12 years Berna McCarthy told the ECHO: "‘Alf was a true gentleman. He was just a pleasure.
"He was absolutely fine when I first went to work there and over the years he developed dementia, but he was still absolutely wonderful. He was just a lovely lovely man, he didn't have a bad word to say about anybody - he was very witty."
Berna described Alf as a "real family man" who loved his holidays and said she will miss his smile, laughter, conversation and singing the most. Alf, who was also a keen artist, worked for Mersey Docks and Harbour board in later life and was also a familiar face as a steward at Anfield's turnstiles in retirement.
Berna said: "He looked after David up until he was 88. David his son was disabled and Alf would do all his shopping, driving and shopping. He was just a really lovely family man.
"Although he had dementia he was very on the ball. He was very articulate and well educated." To many, Alf was an "entertainer" and Berna also has fond memories of spending Christmas with Alf and David.
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Paying tribute, one of Alf's long-time carers Jo Reece, also told the ECHO: "He had a brilliant sense of humour. He was so loving and kind and he was forever thankful for what we were doing for him and I used to say to him it my little thankyou to you for what you did for us in the war.
"He was so loving and he always spoke about his pals from the Lancaster crew, he never forgot about them He was such a lovely man and such a gentleman
"He was so funny, he had us in fits of laughter. We always looked forward to seeing him."
Jo said Alf reminded her so much of her own dad and that everyone will miss him so much. She said he was known as "Sir Alf" by the team and that his carers have arranged a floral tribute of his nickname. Jo said: "He wasn't a sir, but he was to us."
Shannon Farrell became one of Alf's carers in June last year and described him as "one in a million". Shannon told the ECHO: "When I was going in on my first day, I was going in to meet a man who is 99 and the first time I saw him, you just wouldn't think he was 99.
"He was amazing. He was just always so happy and he was like one of our own, he quickly became family. He used to sing all these little songs and you always went home singing one of them.
"My kids met him as well and we used to FaceTime them when I was in work so he could see them. He just felt like part of the family. He had so many stories to tell and he lived a very important life, from the things he did for the country but also how he looked after his wife when he got older and his son David.
"I'm going to miss him but I know he’s with David and Joan now which gives you peace of mind. He was just fantastic - with all my heart I'll just miss him so much. He was just one in a million."
In December last year, as part of the Liverpool ECHO's How It Used To Be series, we spoke to Alf about his amazing life. We spoke to Alf at his surprise 100th birthday party on December 10, 2022, which had been organised at his favourite cafe, Maggie May's Community Cafe in West Derby.
Asking Alf about signing up to such a dangerous role during the war, he told the ECHO: "I never gave it any thought. It was who I was and what I was." He added: "I did what I had to do".
You can also pay tribute to Alf in the comments section below.
An encounter with a well-spoken flight commander in a "posh suit" shortly after signing up led to him being invited to train as part of a Lancaster bomber crew. Alf said: "He asked me if I'd like to work for him and fly with him? So I said okay, fair enough."
Training as a wireless operator and air gunner as part of the crew, the perilous nature of Alf's role aboard the bomber can not be overstated. This was apparent in the quick and clear answer he gave when asked of his most enduring memory of his time serving during the war - "the horror".
Many of the friends and neighbours who had packed Maggie May's to celebrate Alf's birthday, were there through the fantastic organisational skills of cafe owner, Maria Checkland. The day had a 1940s theme including a singer belting out some his favourite songs from his youth. There was also an RAF cadet guard of honour lined up to greet the RAF vet as he arrived, accompanied by his round-the-clock carers.
The café that day was filled with photographs of Alf during the war, including a collection of impressive drawings he had made during those years. Paying tribute, Maria told the ECHO: "I’ve known Alf as long as I've had the café, as a customer. Despite having dementia he was still happy and always joking.
"He just had a really lovely personality. Everyone's really sad but we’re glad we managed to give him an 100th birthday celebration because he had a lovely day, he had a really lovely time. The café was absolutely packed out."
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Alf's funeral service is to be held on Tuesday, February 28 at St Mary's Church, West Derby at 1.30pm followed by a committal at Anfield Crematorium at 2.40pm. Members of the RAF will also be in attendance to give Alf a traditional send off.
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