Obituary for Malcolm Eric Dodds

Malcolm Eric Dodds was born on July 21st 1941 in Lincoln, to parents Nelly and Tommy Dodds. He had a sister and two brothers, and a typical 1940s upbringing: one childhood story recalls him and his sister skating downhill on just one roller skate each, with the pair split half between them. At fourteen he missed the best part of a year’s schooling due to ill health as he was confined to the sanitarium, and when he returned to the family home it was to find his mother had left.

Malcolm’s military career is a defining feature of his life story, having served in the army for twenty two years and travelled around the world with the Royal Anglian regiment second battalion – the Lincolnshire poachers. His postings included Cyprus, Singapore, Germany, Ireland and Gibraltar. During this time, he married his first wife Dawn in July 1965, a union blessed with Scott, Jason, Sharon and Brett and which has gone on to make him a grandfather seven times over and a great grandfather twice.

He was never one to speak too much of his experiences in the army, but he came away from his service having been awarded a number of medals and with the camaraderie of friendships which went on to last an entire lifetime. Malcolm’s trademarked expression “I am the best” was definitely borne of his time in the military, though, and a statement filled with pride at his long service. When he retired from the army in 1984, he had achieved the rank of warrant officer and long earned the stripes he’d admired those years before. It is in the colours and insignia of his regiment that his coffin is decorated today.

He invested his retirement settlement into taking over the Rose and Crown pub in Balderton, Newark, where he lived at the time. It’s of course debatable as to which side of the bar he spent most of his hours, but as a consummate host the landlord role suited him perfectly. Although they only had the pub for two years, all of the premises they’ve run ever since have been licenced – and I’m sure that’s appropriate, given that for many people here, the image in mind of Malcolm is one holding up a glass of brandy.

From his earliest cars to the Jaguars we all know him for driving, it was impossible to drive past a garage forecourt without him wanting to stop for “just a quick look.” For his 75th birthday, his youngest son Elliott surprised him with tickets to the Silverstone Grand Prix and he was thrilled to have experienced the top end of British racing. This year’s birthday was spent at Cadwell Park, underlining the enthusiasm for motorsport he carried throughout his life.

In the last few years, a number of illnesses affected his health but never quite managed to dampen his indomitable spirit. From heart disease and the triple heart bypass operation through to strokes and most recently cancer, he overcame all of these hurdles and survived with his humour almost entirely intact. It’s an irony, then, that his passing came through a tragic incident after he’d survived so many other difficult things. He had always said that “you can’t take it with you” though – and whether this attitude was generated by the proximity to mortality in the army or his sheer bloody-mindedness about overcoming so many illnesses that might have weakened a lesser spirit, it came through in an endless generosity. Malcolm was never short with his time, affection or his bar tab, and this generosity is what I know will be remembered when we raise our glasses to him later.

Above this, though, and to conclude, is that chief amongst everything for my dad was family. He is so fiercely proud of all of us for what we’ve achieved and to him we can only say thank you for everything he gave us through his lifetime. I know full well that he’d have given me the moon on a string if I’d asked, and to his chosen friends across the town and the wider country he had a similar generosity of spirit which asked for little but respect in exchange. For that, for the opportunities he’s created for me and the endless support, I will be eternally grateful.

I am proud to be his daughter just as I know we are all proud to be his family and that has always been his number one priority. And just as he’s always done absolutely anything for us, all we can do now for him is to say thank you for everything, that we love him and will miss him more than I think we can bear right now, but we will continue to do him proud.