Popular Chelsea man, dies after suffering a heart attack while undertaking a charity walk on a pilgrimage route in Spain
A popular Chelsea pensioner has died while undertaking a charity walk on a pilgrimage route in Spain
Rick Graham, 74, suffered a heart attack while walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage near Pamplona and died shortly afterwards.
Rick was a former Warrant Officer Class 1 in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers saw operational service as a UN Peacekeeper in Cyprus and in four tours of Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles in a 22 year military career.
He joined The Royal Hospital in Chelsea in 2015, following in the footsteps of his father, where he was a popular character and keen amateur painter as well as supporting the local football team.
His daughter Alison said: ‘My dad was a funny character, very proud of his family and his Chelsea pensioner roots. I take solace knowing that he died doing what he loved – travelling.’
The Governor of the Royal Hospital, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, said: ‘Rick demonstrated a selfless attitude and outlook on life, and was often keen to raise money for people less fortunate than himself and it was while he was in Spain undertaking a sponsored walk that he died.’
Rick was raising money for service charities when he died last month.
There are various walking routes to the cathedral city of Santiago in Northern Spain which were popular during the medieval period and have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years.