Obituary: Kevan Armitage

Jan 13 2009 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A HUDDERSFIELD man who helped thousands of flood victims has died after a battle with cancer.

Kevan Armitage, 55, of Lindley, spent 30 years working as an insurance loss adjuster and based himself in Hull to help thousands of residents who lost their homes during the 2007 flooding.

The father-of-two, who had pancreatic cancer, died on January 2.

He leaves wife Amanda and daughters Kate, 25, a doctor, and Eleanor, 22, who has just finished at university.

Mr Armitage worked for Crawford and Co, whose bosses described his fine leadership skills and said he showed “typical grit and determination” in helping his clients.

His wife said: “Just six months before he was diagnosed he spent his life trying to help others get back on their feet.

“His aim was to try and get as many people as possible back into their homes, ensure their pets were looked after.

“He even went to base himself in Hull and stayed in the same hotel as many of the people, just so he was nearer to them.

“It wasn’t something he was asked to do; it was something he wanted to do.

“That’s the type of man he was; he wanted to do what he could to help other people.”

Mr Armitage, a big Huddersfield Town fan, took great pleasure in seeing his team beat Leeds at home, one of the last games that he watched.