Here is the text of an email received 13th October 2001 from Juliet, his daughter....

I have to tell you that very sadly, my father died in the early hours of yesterday morning, 12th October.

It was very sudden and unexpected, but he died peacefully in his sleep, something to be thankful for.

He had suffered a heart attack about a year ago and had been making excellent progress, after a second setback a few months ago.  He had been leading a very full and normal life right up until his last evening, when he had attended a Probus lunch and then a PCC meeting.  He went to bed happily, but did not awake.

The following appeared in the Daily Telegraph of 17th October:

POYNER.—.Eric peacefully at home on
         October 12th. Eric, formerly
         Headmaster of Price’s School,
         Fareham, and later Principal of
         Price’s Sixth-Form College. Dearly
         beloved husband of Betty, much loved
         and loving father of Andrew and
         Juliet, father-in-law of Josephine and
         David, and loved and devoted grandpa
         of Amy, Rachel, Georgina, Alice,
         Hamish and Joseph. Funeral at 2p.m.
         at SI Peter’s Church, Seaview, Isle of
         Wight on Friday, October 19th.

A personal note from Betty Poyner received 22nd October 2001

Dear Old Priceans,

The family is so very grateful for all the wonderful letters we have received from former students and staff of Price’s School and Price’s Sixth Form College on Eric’s unexpected death.  We have been quite overwhelmed to discover to what extent he was appreciated and admired for the work he did and for the person he was.  We feel very humble and proud, too, to realise how many lives he influenced for good.

He loved his work among you during his twenty years in Fareham, and after his retirement, when he felt he had accomplished to the best of his ability what he had been given to do in the academic field, he never ceased to be concerned for the continuation of the traditions of Price’s.  He was always pleased to maintain contact with past students through the Old Priceans’ Association, and was anxious for it to continue and grow.

I hope you will understand that writing to you all individually is not possible, but please accept our heartfelt gratitude for all the wonderful messages we have received.

You may be interested to know that, thanks to the generosity of so many people, Sight Savers will be able to set up two new “eye-camps” in India to provide treatment for blindness there.

Yours very sincerely,

Betty Poyner