Sadly and unexpectedly Alex (Bob) died in his sleep in Aldershot, England, on January 4, 2011. The funeral took place in Aldershot on Monday, January 17th. The following words were spoken during the service, as a tribute to his life: "Alexander Robert Fridge, known to many as 'Bob', was born in Bordon, Hampshire, in 1932. Raised by his mother in sometimes difficult circumstances, through economic depression and the war, he had a brother and three sisters, who survive him and to whom he remained devoted during his whole life. He joined the Royal Air Force at 19, and served during the next 32 years in England, Egypt, the Isle of Man, Germany, Kuwait, Belgium and Oman, as well as a tour of duty on the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ark Royal. During that time he rose from the lowest initial entry rank to become a commissioned officer in 1964, and retired from the Air Force in 1983 as a Squadron Leader and Acting Wing Commander. Although his primary expertise was in radar and aircraft control from the ground he enjoyed flying on many occasions, and became a proud member of the exclusive "Ten Ton Club" of people who have flown in a supersonic jet fighter at a speed of more than 1,000 miles an hour. Following his retirement from the RAF in 1983 he pursued a second career as a lecturer and trainer, firstly at Bailbrook College in Bath, and then in Saudi Arabia with Lockheed and British Aerospace, before retiring at 60 years of age to his beloved house in the hills above Carmel Valley in California. After 15 years there, he spent a further 4 happy years in Menorca, Spain before moving back to his childhood home in Aldershot in 2010. Bob had two children, Linda and Neville, from his short marriage to his wife Brenda in the 1950's. During their childhood years his many foreign postings kept him at a distance, but as time went by they grew closer, and he became intensely proud of the many educational and professional achievements of both his children and his five grandchildren, living in Scotland and the United States. Wherever he went, Bob's gentle personality, knack for conversation and respect for people from all walks of life rapidly gained him a circle of devoted friends who, together with all the members of his large extended family, will miss him deeply."
I would also like to express the Fridge family's sincere gratitude for the messages that have been posted on the Association's message board in recent days. It is particularly helpful for the younger generation, his five grandchildren and many of their cousins who knew my father well, to be able to see such evidence of the respect and affection accorded him by the fellow officers and others with whom he served.
- Neville (son)
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