RIP – Dutch
I heard at the weekend of the recent death of Richard Pauptit.
Please follow this link for more information: https://bigdave44.com/2024/07/07/rip-dutch/#more-198788
Update:
Here are the details of the memorial service being held to celebrate the life of Richard Pauptit.
We understand that many of Richard’s family and friends live around the world, so for those who can’t attend in person, it will be held online as well. You will also have the option to watch this for 7 days after. If you would like the link to this, please give us your email (or another way to contact you) in this form: https://forms.gle/aabZRNKR9A1qu7S69.
We will all gather together on Tuesday the 30th of July at Macclesfield Crematorium and the service will start at 10:45am. There is no dress code, please wear whatever you feel comfortable in – like Richard would always do.
After the service we will go to the Broken Cross Club for a buffet from 11:45am, where you can share your fondest memories of Richard with family members and friends. If you would like to join us here, please use this form to help us with numbers: https://forms.gle/aabZRNKR9A1qu7S69.
From 2pm we have arranged for the celebration to be continued at the Pack Horse pub close by. Immediate family are going to be doing something separate at this time, but we wish for everyone who can attend to carry on sharing their love for Richard there.
We have decided to have family flowers only.
Kind regards, Sonia, Owen & Morgan
Very sad news – I met Richard/Dutch several times at the George over the years (usually after the Times Champs) and more recently at a couple of York get-togethers. Behind that lugubrious exterior there was a glint of humour in his eye, and always some good conversation.
My condolences to his family and friends.
As one gets older friends seem to disappear from this existence.
Setters and bloggers are like friends even if I have not met them So farewell Dutch .
You were an esteemed part of the crossword world
I liked Dutch a lot as a bloke. We spent quite a bit of time together. Most of the comments on BigDave naturally refer to Richard’s epic Elgar blogging shift but I’d like to record my appreciation of his wonderful puzzles published in The Indy which were always well-written, funny, and very very entertaining.
RIP old friend.
Another shock. We seem to be running out of good blokes fast.
Dutch was a great guy with whom I enjoyed a good few pints at the various meets. He was obviously a fantastic blogger on DT (taking on the likes of Elgar on a regular basis), and a really talented compiler to boot. RIP.
Still processing this. A massive shock and a massive loss to Richard’s friends and family, and to the crossword community.
The last time I saw Dutch was at a birthday party in March. I can’t believe that was the last time I will see him.
He was, then as always, great company and really interesting to talk to. I have particularly happy memories of the first Macclesfield S&B, which was so fun I didn’t want to leave. Thanks to Dutch’s generous offer of a sofa I didn’t have to.
Dutch was kind. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He loved his family to the utmost and tore himself apart to do the best he could by them.
He was very clever but also very modest. Not that he wasn’t outspoken enough about things he believed in – always great for a debate! One of the things I will remember, though, is how Dutch genuinely tried to understand points of view that he didn’t hold himself.
He was able to apologise and to forgive – and in a world where none of us are perfect those qualities are perhaps the most special of all.
I will always treasure the happy times. I will miss him. Rest in peace Dutch.
I met Dutch a couple of times at S&B events, knowing him as a setter rather then a blogger – and I found his puzzles somewhat challenging at times but never beyond me. He will be missed. There are, I think, six of his most recent puzzles in the Indy which will, one hopes, be reprinted in the i – something to look forward to and to bring back memories.
We were at the same party as Kitty and like her, this was the last time we saw Dutch. As she says, he was good company and we met him at many of the regular S&Bs.
We also knew him as a setter rather than a blogger.
He will be missed – Farewell Dutch, we will not forget you.
Very sad news. A good and generous friend, he test solved many of my puzzles. Kitty has put it better than i can. He told me a couple of weeks ago that he couldn’t walk too far without having problems breathing but I was hoping he would soon be able to get over his health problems. Farewell, you will be missed.
What dreadul news.
I first met Richard at a Boatman masterclass and thereafter at a couple of the York S&Bs. I liked him a lot. As others have said, he was terrific company.
Since then our contact was through email only: Richard was my test solver for puzzles in The Times and the Financial Times. I often worried that I was asking too much of him but he said he enjoyed it. His comments on the puzzles were invaluable.
On one occasion I gave Richard first prize in the weekly clue writing competition at DIY COW:
https://www.ukpuzzle.com/phpBB3/index.php
For some reason I still remember the clue:
Pull on ends of cord to tighten (3)
It eventually made its way into one of his puzzles for the Independent. I wish we had had more of those.
Although we didn’t meet in recent years I thought of Richard as a friend. I will miss him greatly.
My heartfelt condolences to his family.
That is such sad news. I met Dutch several times at the York S&B events. He will be greatly missed. A lovely person. RIP Dutch.
Cath and I are still so upset by this. He was a really great guy. So bright and knowledgeable. He helped us both a few years back when I had some mental health issues. Rip Richard, you were one of the best.
Shocked and saddened to hear this news. Although we never met in person, I test-solved his puzzles, and he mine, so I think of him as a friend and will miss him. Sincere condolences to his family. He had a great talent as a setter, a keen eye as a blogger, and a real love for our world of Crosswords.
Sad news. Condolences to friends and family.
I’m really sad to hear this news. Richard was a top bloke and a fine setter. Another one who’ll be sorely missed at the crossword meets.