Paul Whitehead 1948 - 2021

By Cycling UK
Cycling UK member Paul Whitehead passed away peacefully on 7th January, aged 72
Paul was a committed cyclist who joined CTC Coventry about five years ago, but it feels as though he had ridden with us for much longer, such is the impact he has had on the club. He always had a smile and a pleasant word to share. 
 
Throughout his life he was an all-round sportsman and would always take the opportunity to discuss the fortunes of the national and international teams.

Scarcely a day went by when Paul was not out on his bike, and, unsurprisingly, he was one of the fittest members of the group. Having joined us he quickly became familiar with our local lanes and immediately started leading rides and tours: putting back more than he took out of the club and would always be supportive to other club members who were having a hard time.

Paul’s determination to carry on was extraordinary even when it was clear that he was becoming seriously ill with a brain tumour:  he organised a tour to the Isle of Man in 2018 but had to delay his start because of a hospital appointment and then caught up with the group using a train assist. He also took a day off at the end to attend a hospital appointment in Birmingham and returned to complete a very hilly route back home from Lancaster through the Pennines. Any lesser person would have said “sorry” and absented themselves…not Paul.

One of Paul’s many skills was the assembly of tour videos, which can be seen on  CTC Coventry’s website. Particularly poignant is this video he made a few weeks before he died.

Paul leaves a son and two granddaughters. We will miss him and remember him with great affection.

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