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| Cuthbert Riley obituary | Cuthbert Riley obituary |
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| My father, Cuthbert Riley, who has died aged 87, lived his life serving the community by playing a small role in the evolution of the electricity service in Northern Ireland. | My father, Cuthbert Riley, who has died aged 87, lived his life serving the community by playing a small role in the evolution of the electricity service in Northern Ireland. |
| He was born in Limavady, County Londonderry. His first job was working for the family of John Edward Ritter, who in the 1890s was the first to light his house – and 75 others – using a generator attached to his watermill. It was the first hydro-electric station in the province. When John died in 1901, his widow took over the business. Cuthbert went to work for the Ritter family in 1940 as a 15-year-old apprentice. One of his tasks was to collect the money from the houses in town each week and walk across the Roe bridge and up the long drive to the Ritter residence, Roe Park house, where he would hand it over. | He was born in Limavady, County Londonderry. His first job was working for the family of John Edward Ritter, who in the 1890s was the first to light his house – and 75 others – using a generator attached to his watermill. It was the first hydro-electric station in the province. When John died in 1901, his widow took over the business. Cuthbert went to work for the Ritter family in 1940 as a 15-year-old apprentice. One of his tasks was to collect the money from the houses in town each week and walk across the Roe bridge and up the long drive to the Ritter residence, Roe Park house, where he would hand it over. |
| In 1946 the generator was taken over by the Northern Ireland Electricity Board (NIEB) and in September of that year Noel Ritter wrote Cuthbert a reference which I found in his papers after his death. Noel praised him for being "keen, interested and obliging". Cuthbert continued to work for the NIEB and then, from 1973, for the Northern Ireland Electricity Service (NIES), rising to the position of electrical engineer. He retired in 1990 after a period of continuous service of 50 years. | In 1946 the generator was taken over by the Northern Ireland Electricity Board (NIEB) and in September of that year Noel Ritter wrote Cuthbert a reference which I found in his papers after his death. Noel praised him for being "keen, interested and obliging". Cuthbert continued to work for the NIEB and then, from 1973, for the Northern Ireland Electricity Service (NIES), rising to the position of electrical engineer. He retired in 1990 after a period of continuous service of 50 years. |
| When bad weather took hold, Cuthbert often worked through the night to restore power to local farmers and homes. His funeral took place on just such a day, when members of the NIES were struggling to restore electricity to thousands of homes across the province and those around his grave sheltered under umbrellas against the snow. | When bad weather took hold, Cuthbert often worked through the night to restore power to local farmers and homes. His funeral took place on just such a day, when members of the NIES were struggling to restore electricity to thousands of homes across the province and those around his grave sheltered under umbrellas against the snow. |
| He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, whom he married in 1953, and me. | He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, whom he married in 1953, and me. |
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