We are sad to report the death of Keith Charlton, who made an outstanding contribution to Wiltshire tennis in the 1960s and 1970s, as a player and as captain of the men’s county team. He died in Lincoln on July 6 at the age of 85.
Keith was born in Sunderland, County Durham, in 1940, and he lived there with his mother during the war while his father served in the army in France and India. The family later moved to Porton in Wiltshire where Keith’s father worked as a scientist.
Keith attended Bishop Wordsworth school in Salisbury, and it was there that his sporting prowess became evident, first in table tennis – he was a top-ranked junior player in that sport – and then in lawn tennis. He won the Wiltshire under-18 singles tournament in 1956 and got through several rounds at Junior Wimbledon in that year. He first played in county week in 1957 and continued to do so until 1978; he was a member of the county team that played in Group One in1961. He served for four years as team captain after Bob Clanchy’s retirement. In 1962 he was made a member of the International Lawn Tennis Club of Great Britain.
For several years Keith lived with his first wife in Winchester, commuting to London for his work as a civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. He had some notable successes in the civil service tennis championships; he and his Wiltshire partner, Paul Denyer, won the doubles event three times.
After his marriage ended in divorce he moved to Lincoln and it was there that he met his second wife, Jane. They were married in 1987; he became a much-loved stepfather to Mandie and Karen, and later grandfather to four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Keith continued to be an active tennis player after his move to Lincoln, competing in veterans tournaments and as a member of the Lincolnshire over-45 team. He played mainly at the Lincoln Eastgate tennis club; he was also a strong supporter of the Lincoln Tennis Academy, an indoor centre which provides coaching and other facilities for young players.
His Wiltshire team-mates remember Keith’s distinctive playing style, perhaps deriving from his table tennis background; his fierce topspin forehand, heavily sliced backhand and an effective kick service made him a difficult opponent.
More important, we remember with great affection his warm personality – his unfailing good humour, his sense of fun, his patient support for younger players. He was a huge asset to Wiltshire tennis, both on and off the court.
