Principal Erkki Vilpa died in Oulu at the age of 94 on October 30, 2023. He was born in Riihimäki on March 19, 1929.
Vilpa matriculated from Riihimäki Lyceum in 1949 and graduated in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Helsinki. His teaching career began at the Arkadia joint high school in Helsinki. From there, Vilpa moved to the head teacher of natural history and geography at Jyväskylä Normal Lyceum and after that at Oulu Normal Lyceum.
In 1974, Vilpa was named biology and geography lecturer at Oulu Normal School, and in 1987 as head principal of Oulu Normal School. The rector's term lasted until his retirement in 1992.
Vilpa was involved in developing the elementary school and teacher in-service training. He also worked as a geography and biology county educator 1972−1979 and was a member of the Oulu school board and curriculum committee 1993−1996.
As a teacher, Vilpa was a calm and fatherly figure. In his own opinion, he was at his best on the students' field trips.
Vilpa was one of the founding members of the Oulu region's biology and geography teachers association and also served as the association's chairman and on the board. He was also on the board of the national Association of Biology and Geography Teachers 1979−1986.
For retirement after staying, Erkki continued nature research and writing. In 1995, he completed his licentiate degree in philosophy, majoring in ecological botany. This is how the work was born The flora of Lope.
Later, Erkki focused on the research of plants and fungi in the Oulu region. He edited 1999 works The nature of Oulu, which is still the largest publication about nature in the Oulu region. For his literary merits, Erkki received the state award for publishing information in 2006, and he was also awarded the Order of the Order of the White Rose of Finland in 1983.
Erkki read a lot of versatile literature: poetry, novels, memoirs and non-fiction books in his own field. His last publication was an essay on the poet Aaro Hellaakoski in 2021. Hellaakoski was in many ways Erki's kindred spirit.
Erkki skied hundreds of kilometers every winter and took care of Ii's summer apartment and its wooded plot in the summer. Favorite hobbies were also field farming, berry picking and mushroom picking. Erkki also photographed nature diligently.
Erkki was an old-time gentleman, responsible, hardworking and approachable. Even in retirement, he traveled a lot and made great photo collages from his travels and wrote travelogues. He was on the board of the Federation of Camera Societies 1957–1959 and a member of the Editorial Board of Kameralehti 1959–1960.
His photographs have been exhibited in several domestic and international exhibitions. He received several recognitions for his photography merits, e.g. The gold merit badge of the Federation of Finnish Camera Societies.
Own family – wife Marketta and children Heinä-Maaria and Visa with their families – was dear and close to Erki. With the help of Marketa, Erkki was able to live a full life at home until his very last weeks.
Erkki and Marketta were a familiar sight at concerts, art exhibitions and other cultural events. Together they moved, did and experienced.
Timo Lappi
Juhani Paananen
Veikko Ervasti
The authors are colleagues and friends of Erkki Vilpa.
#Obituary #Erkki #Vilpa
