Funeral

Norman's family have arranged his funeral for Friday 10th March. The funeral will be for family and close friends.

Report from Jim W

I have just received the sad news that Norman died peacefully yesterday evening at the care home in Colchester where he has been for the past few years. He had celebrated his 88th birthday on Christmas Day (2022).

I first met Norman in Sweden in 1964 and have been close friends with him ever since.

As all who met him will know, he was always good company and got on with everyone.

My wife and I will miss him.

Tributes

George N

Dreadful news. I wished him a Merry Christmas on the 23rd. Said he may need an operation on his feet. Very shocked. 

Barry F

Very sad news. I was having a drink with him at the ATC get together in the Horse & Groom just before Christmas, reminiscing about life in Field Services.  I never worked with Norman in Field Services but shared an office with him in Writtle Road when we both joined Sales. He took over responsibility for my territories in Asia and the Far East when I left Marconi and joined Cossor Electronics

Steve B

That is sad news. Condolences to his whole family.

I first met Norman in Saudi in 1973 and up to a few years ago when we lost touch due to Covid, he referred to me as his apprentice. Lovely man.

Alan M

Very sorry to hear about Norman Falkner

I first met him when we were commissioning The Fur Hat project in Sweden in 1963.

I was there for several months and used often to pick him and others up in the morning in a combi  van to go to work in the morning, so got to know him quite well – though we worked on different parts of the system.

He later left Field Services and worked in Sales at Writtle Road with responsibility for quotes for India and other areas of the Far East and I worked with him sometimes on quotations when I was a Radar Systems Engineer with Fred Kime.

In the UK, Norman had a few motorcycles – one of which (a powerful 900cc Honda) I threw down the road on an oil spill while testing it one lunchtime from Writtle Road - fortunately only inflicting superficial damage to myself and the bike.  Norman was very forgiving thankfully

Like me, Norman used to sometimes go to the Isle of Man on one of his bikes to watch the TT races and I often saw him on the boat as we travelled over.

He also entertained the elderly residents in care homes very professionally with a ukulele and George Formby numbers in the last few years (Ed. note: see "Riding in the TT Races" and "Leaning on the Lamppost").

RIP. Norman and keep leaning on the lamppost wherever you are!!

Ian G

I spent a year or so in the early 70s with Norman in South Africa, where he had the unenviable task of Site Engineer, directing an enormously competent but ungovernable installation team working on Project Nassau. A thoroughly likeable man who will live on in the memories of those who knew him - the ukulele, the invisible keyboard, the tours of Springs to find where he'd left his car the night before…

RIP you old festerer…

Malcolm M

I can still see Norman walking up and down the corridor of one of the SOCs in Saudi Arabia, where he was Site Engineer; in a distracted way, clicking his fingers as he thought through some problem. He was good company, and you could talk to him.

In later life he came to the care home where my mother was a resident some years ago, and did a turn with the Ukelele.

Sad news, he will be missed.

RIP Norman

Norman D

A bit of a shock as I travelled with him to the “ATC Christmas” lunch a couple of weeks ago with Jan Stringer.

I first met him in Saudi and I have an enduring memory of walking past his room at Salbuch on a Friday morning after a particularly heavy night in the mess and hearing the strains of an improvised Saudi hangover blues. When we were down in the SOC one of our entertainments was to translate odd songs into German and I remember we got stuck on a word for “waggly” in "How much is that doggy in the window?". After much deliberation, Norman came up with “swingunglich” which we settled on.

I used to see him regularly, particularly when he moved into Sales and he was always easy company with a great sense of humour. RIP Norman.

John L

Sorry to hear about Norman - I too met him in Sweden on the Fur Hat Project.

Cyril F

So sorry to hear about Norman. I worked with him for a long time, mainly on Project Nasau in South Africa.

What a character! "Festering home on a VC10...."  well describes the ambience of those memorable times.

George R

Very sad news about Norman. 

I only got to know him when he joined the sales department.

He and I travelled to North Cape, Norway on the 20th December to attend a bidders conference to replace a Norwegian Coast Watch radar which had been installed in the 50s and was still working. I think this must have been in the 90s.