A former Merseyside police officer who came out of retirement to save his local pub from closure has died at the age of 63.
Ritchie Whitworth, who served with the force for 33 years, died after a short illness.
For the last eight years, he was landlord of the Plasterers Arms in Hoylake, Wirral, where he’d been a regular for many years. He ran the pub with his wife Michele.
They had been married just over a year when they became landlord and landlady of the seaside village pub.
Michele, 64, who wed Ritchie in Cyprus in 2015, said: “Ritchie took great pride in the pub and knew how important it was to the community here. He couldn’t bear the idea of it closing, and stepped in to save it.
“He knew what people wanted from their local pub. Somewhere they could sit and meet with their friends and drink good beer. He was always happiest sitting in his usual spot by the fire, having a pint and chatting to his friends.”
She added: “I am very thankful for the happy years we had together. I wish there could have been more of them, but I am very grateful for the time we had, and the love we were able to give each other.”
Ritchie was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1960, and attended Haberdashers’ Aske’s school. He joined Merseyside Police in 1980 and served as a constable, and then detective constable, and as a firearms-trained officer was attached to royal protection duties, including a visit by Diana, Princess of Wales for the Battle of the Atlantic Commemorations in 1993. .
After successfully beating throat cancer in 2002, he continued to serve, eventually retiring in 2013. Ritchie died on March 2 at Arrowe Park Hospital.
On April 4, the funeral cortège will leave from his Hoylake home, pass the Plasterers Arms, and head to the cremation service at Landican cemetery in Arrowe Park, where a Humanist ceremony will take place at 10.30am. Mourners are invited to gather at the Plasterers Arms from 12pm, following the service.
He had asked that instead of sending flowers, people made donations to the Doyle-Phillips Foundation, which was set up in memory of Merseyside Police Constables Neil Doyle and Dave Phillips.
Ritche’s ashes will later be interred at sea by the Hoylake Lifeboat, which for many years was supported by the Plasterers Arms with events like the August Bank Holiday weekend Lifeboat Day.
His ashes will be scattered along with those of one of his dogs, black Labrador Barney.
Michele added: “He and Barney were inseparable, and after Barney died, he could never bring himself to let go of him, to scatter his ashes.
“So I thought it would be fitting for them to be together again forever more.”
Donations to the Doyle-Phillips Foundation can be made here.
