It is with so much sadness that I announce that (still serving) CPO(SA) Steve Atkinson Crossed the Bar on Saturday 29th June after short illness, he was 57 years old. He died at his home in Dartmouth.
Steve’s funeral will be held at Torquay Crematorium, Hele Rd, Torquay TQ2 7QG (HEREfor the website and HERE for a map) on Thursday 11 July at 15:30, with arrangements being made by the Funeral Directors, R C Pillar and Sons, Anzac Street, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 9DL (HERE for the website and HERE for a map)
No flowers at the request of the family however donations in lieu, if desired, to Cancer Research (UK)(HERE for the website) would be very welcome and by cheque through the Funeral Directors.
Steve was not married and had no children and is survived by his mother Cess. On behalf of the RFA Association I extend our sincere condolences to his family
His last ship was Fort Austin which he paid off in April this year.
Steve was an RFA man through and through joining RFA Resource in July 1973 as a Catering Boy. Working through the ranks he was the vanguard to the newly formed Stores Accounting branch and in 1987 he was appointed as the first POSA to RFA Fort Grange. He was promoted to CPOSA in 1993.
Steve served on all classes of RFA past and present in several theatres of operation – Fort Austin in the Falklands and Fort Grange in the former Yugoslavia and more recently Fort Victoria in the Gulf.
If you have a remembrance of Steve please e-mail me at deputy.chairman@rfaa.uk and I will append it to this page.
Linda Fleming writes :- A good man. We were lucky to have known him. We will miss him here in the US.
My thanks to Linda for the photograph (webmaster)
CPO (Steward) Gordon Hains RFA(Retd) writes :- I was saddened to hear of the sudden death of my good friend, CPOSA Steve Atkinson.
Steve & I had been good friends since 1979 when I joined RFA Tarbatness in Southampton which was my first RFA ship with a UK crew (I had previously sailed on RFA’s with Maltese Crews) Not knowing anyone on board, Steve made me feel welcome and we became close friends.
Steve and I shared many a good trip together, for example, in 1979 whilst in Malta, Steve, Willie Travis (an Ex-RFA Steward) & I went to see a Drag Show. Out of a packed audience the performers chose to single out Steve and took him on stage, where he quite happily engaged in their antics and ended up undressed down to his underwear. Forever eager to get into the spirit of the occasion, only recently whilst spending X’mas in Dubai, Steve went out dressed as a very convincing Santa Claus……. much to the delight of the local ‘Ladies of the Night’ who were eager to sit on his knee !!!!
Steve was a happy go lucky, generous and VERY likeable person and I personally, will miss him greatly, as I am sure many others will too.
Jeff Gilbert writes:- I went to primary school with Steve and so I guess you could say we had known each other since we were seven year olds. We went separate ways after primary school and eventually Steve joined the Merchant Navy, so we met infrequently and by chance when he was on leave. We used to catch up from time to time in Dartmouth when he was home, and the last time I saw him was In April of this year… He was on a couple of months leave and was off abroad the following day.
I only learned this weekend that Steve had passed away and was truly saddened by the news. Steve was a lovely guy, a real gentleman.
It’s Dartmouth Regatta in a few weeks time. It may well have been that we would have bumped into each other , and once again we would have caught up on things. So sorry to think that this will never happen, but Steve, I will raise a glass to you…God Bless you mate.