Walter Gordon died last year aged 75. His death was unexpected and, indeed, he had been gardening that morning. He became a member of SCIJ in 1974, literally during the meeting at Aviemore for he had been sent to report the event for the Aberdeen Herald and Post. He worked on the paper for most of his career ending as editor. After Aviemore, he attended many meetings and one can say with certainty that he was a highly popular member for, during the first meeting at Slovakia, he was awarded the Emile Antanov cup for camaradie. Certainly as my room mate for two or three meetings, I found him the most amiable and charming person with a sly sense of humour. On the slopes, Jeannie Hall described him as looking like an egg rolling down the mountain and whichever way he rolled, he still managed not to fall. Then, quite recently, he went on a diet and became surprisingly slim. For some years he was president of the British Branch of SCIJ. He was certainly a skier at heart. Indeed he met his wife Jan while ounding the Aberdeen Ski Club and after the wedding they emerged from the church to walk down a guard of honour forming a tunnel of ski poles. He is survived by his wife and three children. His last trip was to Lech where he had the great joy of teaching his grandchildren to ski.
Harry Stone UK ex-president

Walter was a SCIJ man par excellence. He was tact and kindness personified. Generous with time and refreshments to all who knew him at SCIJ, he would  give a warm welcome to every newcomer finding his way at the club. With his Father Christmas beard, his was a distinctive and jovial  presence on and off the piste. Unmissable, yet now we shall all miss him.
Barry Moore, UK captain

Walter and I shared a condo during my first SCIJ meeting in Quebec in 1995. The first night he asked me: "Fancy a nightcap?" showing a hip flask. I did, and we had our night caps from his tiny metal cups every night since.
Some years later when my wife and I stayed a few days at the Gordon residence in Aberdeen Walter told us about his old mother who had a spoonful of whisky every night before going to bed. Whisky is not alcohol to the Scots but medicine.
Walter and his wife Jan took us hiking and climbing at the nearby mountains and threw a party inviting other SCIJ members of Aberdeen.
Then he entertained us with his stories of his childhood when the family was so poor that at times they only had tatties (potatoes) to eat, but they pretended that some tatties were pork chops, others were chicken etc.
Then he told us of the early years of his skiing career, how he and bunch of other blokes drove to Aviemore, used two hours to climb to the top carrying their skis and dragging a box of beer in a sled, skied down 2–3 three times and emptied the box and went home.
We were almost embarrassed of how well they took care of us and many times, the last time in Alpe d'Huez, I invited them to visit Finland, but they never came but rather flew to Canada to see their daughter and her family.
I understood that, but I still miss him.
Rauli Storm, FIN, SCIJ web master