The following message is from Cumbria Squash Chairman Tom Armstrong:
“It is with sadness that I once again have to inform you of the passing away of another of our squash colleagues – Derek (Pym) Sharpe of Kendal Squash Club who died peacefully on 9 November 2013 aged 80, after having spent 15 years fighting Alzheimer`s Disease.
“Pym and his wife Cath, who as you will be aware was an important member of the Executive Committee for many years, are good squash friends of mine. I first met Pym in the early years of our organisation as a player representing Kendal Club in County competitions and contact was maintained over the years in this way, also as Cath`s husband and when he joined the Executive Committee for four years in the early 1980s.
“He was a lovely friendly man and a real character. I enjoyed having him on my committee because he was very outspoken and said things as they were – he called a spade a spade and we knew exactly where we stood with him when we had important decisions to make – as Chairman of the organisation I thought that this was an admirable quality that I appreciated.
“As well as being a good squash player, Pym was a good sportsman generally, particularly cricket, rugby union where he achieved school, club, county, North of England and military service Battalion honours, and rugby league where he played for two seasons as a professional player for Barrow Rugby League Club.
“Pym was part of a small group of players who introduced squash to the Kendal area in the 1960s, first of all by developing a club at Staveley and then in 1975 moving it to its current location in Kendal.
“It has been my pleasure to have known Pym and I know that he will be sadly missed by everyone else who knew him.
“On behalf of Cumbria Squash & Racketball, and I am sure the whole Cumbria squash community, I give deepest sympathies to Cath, his family, friends and squash colleagues.”