Eric Carpenter - A Tribute

January 1920 - December 1982

Eric as a young man

Eric was born in Brixton and lived in south-west London most of his life. During World War 2 he served with the Royal Artillery, mainly in the Middle East and Burma. See below for letters from that period.

Eric and family, c 1958

Eric was a quiet man but, within the family, was very funny. He took a delight in puns and spontaneous word-play. He would frequently reduce family meal times to scenes of hysterical laughter!

Eric and Ella, c 1965

Eric in 1981

Eric developed Parkinson's Disease in 1968, aged 48. The availability, shortly after that date, of the drug L-dopa, along with the love and support of Ella, allowed him to fight against the disease far longer than would have previously been possible. His courage, even when in the later stages of the disease, was tremendous.

Eric died in December 1982, aged 62, and is greatly missed.

Extracts of letters written by Eric to Ella Hemsley (now Ella Carpenter) during World War 2

Read these for a fascinating insight into a soldier's life in WW2. The pages published here are small part of the collection of letters held by Ella Carpenter.

Letters and Photographs - 1940 to 1946

Parkinson's Disease Related Sites

Parkinson's Disease - Home Page

Parkinson's Information Web Site

Carpenter's Home Page

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