ROLF ALVSAKERRolf Alvsaker, the man at the heart of his adored family, which encompassed friends around the world, died at home on 12 June, 2009, following a short illness.Though he and his wife Nims spent the last nine years at their welcoming Woolacombe home, where “the door is always open,” they brought their family up at the idyllic setting of Little Comfort Farm in Braunton, Devon.Rolf was born in Norway in 1937 and after completing National Service in the Norwegian Navy, arrived in London in 1961.Nims said: “He loved his time in the Navy and loved the sea and ships — he had salt water in his veins.”His son Glenn said: “In the 70s Appledore shipyard had a contract to build a replica Viking ship and a Roman galleon, for Thorpe Waterpark — so Dad, being a bit cheeky made a phonecall and told them he was a Viking, and they needed a Viking on board.“So he sailed with them along the Devon and Cornwall, over to France and back to London — and he did that with both ships.”Daughter Astrid recalls tales of his early life in Norway, which included sitting in trees, eating plums and cherries — and being made to wear “itchy clothes” in winter.Shortly after arriving in London, Rolf met “a pretty nurse.”Nims said: “I was nursing at Guys Hospital and after we met in January 1961, we were engaged in the July, married in October and by August of the following year we had the twins.”The couple had moved back to Norway before the birth of twins Astrid and Glenn (corr), where Rolf went to work in the office of his father’s suitcase factory.But after their third child Kirsty was born, they moved back to England in 1965, where later, their son Neil was also born.Nims said: “We had a wonderful life in Norway, living beside a fjord, but we knew my parents would appreciate us being closer — so we brought everything over, lock, stock and barrel.“Rolf always wanted to farm, so we spent six months as students on a farm in Buckinghamshire, learning about dairy farming, then as students on a pig farm.”They bought Little Comfort Farm and moved the family to North Devon.“That was really the beginning of our lovely life. We didn’t have a holiday for quite a few years because we were working, but living at Little Comfort was like being on holiday all the time.”The children were brought up with a menagerie of pets and learned to help care for the pigs, sheep, cattle and horses.Kirsty said: “We were very lucky, we could have any pets we wanted, which I loved, from dogs and kittens to tortoises!”Nims described the years as idyllic and said: “Eventually, we ended up farming people! We converted the barns for holidays and had visitors from all over the world.“We had such fun and so many parties and picnics, raising funds for the NSPCC. The scouts would come along and canoe on the lake and there would be pony rides for the children.”Visitors became part of the extended family and Rolf and Nims were able to “call in the favours” to make return visits to them.And many of them returned for Rolf’s funeral from as far away as Washington DC and Jerusalem.A Norwegian flag was flown over West Down church during the service.Leaving Little Comfort, where apple trees had been planted for each grandchild as they arrived, was a wrench for the family, but in 2000, they moved to Woolacombe.Rolf joined the Ilfracombe Sub Aqua Club and dived around the coast, off Lundy and in the Florida Keys while on holiday.He was also nominated to become a member of Braunton Rotary Club.“It became his life. He made so many friends.”Fellow member Terry Moon, who sponsored him to join said: “I never heard a bad word about Rolf. I’ve known him since the 70s and he often gave me help and advice. He was a very charismatic man.“When I had to go to Exeter every day for cancer treatment, it was Rolf who arranged a team of drivers to get me there. That was the sort of man he was. He would see a problem and find a solution.”Last year, before he became ill, Rolf was also nominated for and presented with, the highest Rotary accolade, the Paul Harris Fellowship award, for his dedicated contribution to the organisation.Nims said: “He could be so kind and sometimes I can’t believe he’s not here.”
Keep me informed of updates
