Old Ruthinian Association

We have been informed of Steven Killian Smith's passing aged 63 on the 5^th of February 2024.

Steven was at Ruthin from 1974 to 1977. He was a member of Lord Kenyon House and played rugby for the 1^st XV.

For the last 25 years Steven had worked as an accountant in Chicago Illinois.

His funeral was held on the 12^th of February at Buffalo Grove, Illinois

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Leslye and his family.

We have been informed David William (Billy) Bowling passed away suddenly in Thailand on the 5^th of October 2023, aged 79.

Billy with his older brother Peter were at school from 1955 to 1960.

He was a member of Lord Kenyon House.

After leaving school he took up a career in the furniture industry and then moved to Thailand where Billy ran a very successful property business.

He started an export company with his brother, it became well established and received The Queen's Award for Export Achievement 1977.

In 2005 Billy established another successful business in the Far East which is now run by his son Mark.

We send our condolences to his son Mark.

Sadly we report the untimely passing of Andrew Paul Barrett on the 30^th November 2023, aged 45.

Andrew was at Ruthin from 1985 to 1990. He was a member of Dean Goodman House. After leaving school Andrew joined the Non Destructive Testing Company (NDT) and recently worked at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead.

His funeral was held on the 20^th December.

We send our condolences to his partner Rebecca and his children Joey and Corey.

We have been informed of Charles William (Bill) F. Redmond passing on the 5^th November 2023, aged 82.

He was at Ruthin from 1951-1955 and was a member of Dean Goodman House. After leaving school Bill joined the John Lewis Partnership Department Stores.

His funeral was held on the 29^th November, 2023.

We send our condolences to his family.

We have been notified of Martin Edward Thomas's passing on the 14^th April 2023, aged 80.

He was at school from 1955-1960. Martin was a member of Lord Kenyon House.

He lived in Victoria, British Colombia, Canada.

We send our condolences to his family.

We have been informed of David Michael Rimmer's passing on the 25^th November 2021, aged 73.

He was at Ruthin from 1959 to 1964 and was a member of Dean Ellis House.

After leaving school David travelled around the world with his father who was a Squadron Leader in the RAF. He lived in Cyprus as well as Bahrain before deciding to join the RAF. David was based at Valley as an Air Traffic Controller.

He was a very talented painter and songwriter and was a member of a few bands. He had a passion for walking and climbing, especially in Canada.

We send our condolences to his family.

We have been notified of William David Summerton's passing on the 3^rd January 2023, aged 82.

He was at Ruthin from 1951 to 1957 and was a member of Dean Goodman House.

After leaving school David worked in the chemical industry for Synthite Ltd. manufacturers of formaldehyde, value added spice extracts and natural spice powders.

We send our condolences to his wife Freda and family.

We have been informed of Joseph Wynne Fould's passing on the 15^th October 2022, aged 88.

He was at Ruthin from 1945 to 1951. Wynne was a member of Dean Goodman House. He lived in Glan Conwy.

We send our condolences to his family.

Sadly we have been informed of Johnny Johnson's passing on the 25^th September 2022, aged 72.

He joined Ruthin School in 1972, predominantly as a sports teacher specialising in Rugby and Cricket but he also taught Geography.

Throughout his time at Ruthin he was a Senior School teacher. Johnny joined the C.C.F. in 1982, this involved a number of UK and foreign trips.

One of his proudest achievements was coaching the best rugby team that the school has seen. (1986/87).

In his last term Johnny taught in the Junior School. He left Ruthin in 1987 to teach at a school in Yorkshire.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Shelia and his daughters Heather and Claire.

Sadly, we report the death of David Kinsey on the 9^th October 2022, aged 77.

David was at Ruthin from 1959 to 1961, he was a member of Sir John Trevor House under the guidance of Mr Michael Hewer.

Unfortunately David left Ruthin prematurely as a result of a serious arm injury he sustained whilst competing in the Middle School High Jump competition. He joined the family farming business in Cheshire which he ran with his brother Richard himself an OR. The business is still thriving today.

Sadly, David's wife Betsy predeceased him two years ago. We send our sincere condolences to his son Charles and his daughters Victoria, Joanna and Georgina.

David's funeral will be held at St. Andrew's Parish Church, Tarvin, CH3 8EB on Friday, 28^th October at 2 pm.

Sadly we report the untimely death of Jonathan Pearce on the 14^th April 2022 following a car accident in Switzerland, aged 54.

Jonathan was at Ruthin from 1979 until 1984 and was a member of Dean Goodman House. He was a keen sportman, playing cricket for the 1^st XI.

On leaving school he worked for Nestlé for many years reaching the position of Vice President and in recent years Jonathan was Director of Global Operations at Vestergaard plant in Switzerland.

He is survived by his wife Natalia and their two Children. We send our sincere condolences to them.

A memorial service will be held at Bangor Crematorium Chapel on Thursday 5^th May 2022 at 2.30pm.

Sadly we have been informed of Desmond Vernon's passing during February 2022 in South Africa, aged 83.

Desmond was at Ruthin from 1954 until 1958 and was a member of Bishop Wynne House. He was a founder member of The Cordiality Club who had as its Patron Dame Vera Lynn who was a relative of Desmond.

On leaving school he went into the insurance business and spent most of his working life with Barlow Rand in South Africa.

We send our sincere condolences to his family.

We have been notified of David J. Schofield's passing in December, 2021, aged 78.

David was a member of Sir John Trevor House. He was the youngest of three brothers at Ruthin in the 1950s and 1960s.

After leaving school he joined the family sports outfitters and leather goods company based in Oldham.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Janet and his children.

Sadly we report the passing of Peter Schofield on the 8^th March 2022 in France, aged 81.

Peter was at Ruthin from 1950 to 1958, he was a member of Lord Kenyon House. He was a keen sportsman, playing for the 1^st X1 as an all rounder from 1954 to 1958, gaining his colours in 1956 and the team’s captaincy in 1958. Peter was also a speedy three-quarter and played for the 1^st XV in his last two years at school being awarded his colours in the 1957-58 season. He was a school prefect.

Peter was one of three brothers at Ruthin in the 1950s and 1960s. After leaving school he joined the family sports outfitters and leather goods company based in Oldham. He served on the ORA committee and was very generous in supplying rugby and cricket kit to the Association and the school. He was also a great lover of cars and was a regular visitor to OR functions in his E-type Jaguar. Peter retired to Merignac in the Charente region of France with his wife some years ago.

His funeral was held on the 16^th March 2022 in France.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Anita and children Tim and Antonia.

Sadly, we report the death of Richard Bowen Aldrich on Saturday 26^th February 2022, aged 74. Richard came to Ruthin in September 1960 and was in Dean Goodman House leaving school in 1966.

Richard ran the family ironmongers shop in Clwyd Street, Ruthin for many years and then worked for a firm of solicitors in Denbigh finally working for St. Brigid's School, Denbigh until his retirement 6 years ago.

He was an avid supporter of the school and the Old Ruthinian Association, on which he served as Honorary Secretary and latterly as Recorder for some fifty years. He will be sadly missed and particularly his immense wealth of knowledge of Ruthin School.

Our condolences go to his partner Maureen.

His funeral will be held at St. Asaph Crematorium on Wednesday, 16^th March, 2022. This will be a private service followed by a service to celebrate his life at St. Peter's Church, Ruthin at 11.30am to which you are all welcome.

Sadly we report the passing of Rashid Munir Ahmed, aged 78, on the 7^th February 2022 at his home in Karachi.

Rashid came to Ruthin, along with his younger brother Monsoor, in September 1956 and joined Sir John Trevor House under the guidance of Mr Owen Thomas. He was a great sportsman excelling as a fast bowler, playing for the 1^st XI from 1959 until 1965 and captaining the side during his last 2 years. On the rugby field he was a big, fast forward who put fear into the opposition captaining the XV in his last year at school – he was awarded colours at both sports.

He left Ruthin as deputy Head Boy and entered Grays Inn in London to study law. He was called to the bar in 1970 and returned to Pakistan in 1972 where he joined a prominent Law firm and practiced civil criminal law. He was the legal advisor to The Hamdard University and director of The Hamdard School of Law from 2001 to 2013. Latterly he was a member of the Board of Governors at both the School and Hamdard University.

He maintained his interest in both rugby union and cricket as well as a full family life with three daughters and four grandchildren.

We send our condolences to his wife Sadia and all his family.

Sadly we report the untimely death of Radley (Rad) Charles Lowry on the 3^rd January 2021, aged 59.

Radley was a member of the staff at Ruthin School from 1988 until 2005. lt was his first appointment and he had something of a baptism of fire, being in charge of Games, a boarding tutor, in charge of Business Studies in addition to teaching some lower school Mathematics and History. He took over one of the two boys' boarding houses -Trevor - in 1991. Subsequently, the School rationalised the boarding by purchasing a much bigger house - a former nursing home - with a capacity for some 60 boys. This led to the amalgamation of the two boys' boarding houses - Kenyon and Trevor - that had been great rivals. It is to Rad's credit that the transition was as smooth as it was. He was a very busy man juggling, as we all did in a small school, a number of functions - CCF, boarding, Games and Business Studies and he became an integral part of the Senior Management Team created following a restructuring in 1999.

As a member of the SMT he was very supportive and reliable. His judgment regarding children was invariably spot on and he has been immensely supportive of those difficult and trying students. He was prepared to spend a great deal of time working through their issues and problems and always tried to find the good in people. He was invariably even-handed and remained good-tempered whatever the occasion. He ran his House on the basis of trust, and compassion; balancing firmness and sympathy. A significant number of the boarding students were from Asia and he enabled them to find their feet and enjoy their time at Ruthin. Rad was very professional in managing difficulties and keeping the SMT fully informed. He was a superb Housemaster, who developed an excellent team of resident tutors, many of whom were new to boarding; he was ably supported by Sadie his wife who had been working in the capacity of a House parent - checking dorms, dealing with uniforms and a multiplicity of other roles. She made life a great deal easier and has been an immense support to Rad.

When he left Ruthin we lost a super colleague who had made an immense impact - particularly since being asked to join the SMT. He had an excellent relationship with his colleagues and a great sense of humour. He threw himself into life at the school - sport, drama, music, CCF, academic, and pastoral.

Many former students will be indebted for the opportunities and support he gave them.

Sadly we report the passing of Robin John Heys on the 13^th January 2022, aged 76 after a long illness.

Robin was at Ruthin from 1958 to 1963, he was a member of Lord Kenyon House. He played rugby for the 1962-63 1^st XV and was an excellent scrum half leaving many opponents with bruises after his strong tackling.

After leaving school Robin worked for a bakery ingredient company in Liverpool. In his leisure time he enjoyed holidays in Abersoch where he had a Land Rover which had been in his family since 1957 and was in the process of being restored. It's a great pity Robin didn't live to see it finally back on the road.

His funeral will be held at Walton Lea Crematorium, Chester Road, Higher Walton, Warrington, WA4 6TB. on Wednesday the 2^nd February at 3.40 pm.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Susi, his sons Robert and Mark and his grandchildren.

Sadly we report the passing of Michael (Mick) Maulden on the 23^rd May 2021, aged 72.

Michael (known to all as Mick) was at Ruthin from 1961 to 1964. He was a boarder and a member of Dean Ellis House.

After leaving school Mick joined the Royal Air Force in 1966 and spent 22 years on the engineering side, managing the servicing and operation of a wide variety of aircraft. On retiring from the RAF he joined an international company which specialised in the design of aircraft flight-decks and the production of flight-simulators. His job entailed much international travel, liaising with various aircraft manufacturers.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Maggie and family.

We have been notified of Jack's passing on the 24^th March 2021, aged 89.

Jack was at Ruthin from 1944 to 1949, firstly as a dayboy in Dean Goodman House later joining School House 1 after which he became a boarder in Lord Kenyon House. He wasn't keen on rugby or cross country running but excelled at cricket playing for the School 1^st XI.

After leaving school Jack worked for a well know wine merchant in London and within five years he had qualified as a 'Master of Wine'. He spent the whole of his working life in the wine trade, a career he very much enjoyed.

Jack was a staunch supporter of the ORA and attended many functions throughout his life.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Jean.

Sadly the untimely death is announced of Anthony (Tony) Bater on 11^th August 2021, aged 67.

Tony was at Ruthin along with his brother Chris from 1969-1972.

He was a boarder and a member of Bishop Wynne House. Tony was an active member of the Christian Union where he developed a strong Christian Faith which remained with him throughout his life.

After leaving school he pursued a career in hotel management. He lived in the Forest of Dean.

A private family funeral was held in Lyndey, Gloucestershire.

We send our sincere condolences to his wife Cinzia, his son Luca and granddaughter Olivia.

Sadly we report the passing of John Christopher Hall on 26^th March 2021, aged 61.

John was at Ruthin 1973-76 and was a popular member of Lord Kenyon House. He was a keen sportsman and played rugby and cricket for the 1^st XV and 1^st XI respectively.

After leaving school he joined the family business in the retail vegetable business before joining his father at The Brookhouse Mill Restaurant near Denbigh. John and his wife Karen built up a very popular and successful business.

His funeral took place on Friday April 9th at St Asaph Crematorium. We send our condolences to his wife Karen and children Jacob, Georgia, Josh and Emily.

Sadly we report the death of Francisco Parra on December 16^th 2020 at his home in East Orleans, Massachusetts, USA aged 91.

He attended Ruthin along with his brother Alirio from 1939 until 1947. They were sent there by their father who was Consul General of Venezuela based in Liverpool.

He was a boarder in School House 2 and soon became a very popular member of the school. Franki, as he was affectionately known, played a full part in school life and became a very active member of the Debating Society. Sport was also a big part of his leisure time whilst at Ruthin as he played rugby and cricket at all levels with his last three years in the 1^st XV as a fast, hard tackling centre three-quarter. At cricket he opened the batting with Keith Tamlin for the 1^st XI being awarded his colours in both rugby and cricket. He was Head Boy in his last year.

After leaving school he attended Geneva University, leaving with a degree in Political Science before entering the Petroleum Industry. In 1968 Franki was appointed Secretary General of OPEC. He was also President of Energy Economics Research Ltd. In 2004 he published, Oil Politics: A Modern History of Petroleum.

We send our condolences to all his family.

The death is announced of Mr. Glenn Neil-Dwyer on the 30^th November 2020 aged 82.

Glenn was at Ruthin from 1951-1957 and was an outstanding sportsman and athlete, captaining the 1^st Xl and XV and was awarded his colours in both sports. He was very popular with both staff and contemporaries and was elected Head Boy in his last year.

He left Ruthin to study medicine at St.Mary' s Hospital in London and was the only one of his generation to Captain the rugby team for two consecutive years - he also played for London Welsh.

He held the position of Consultant Neurosurgeon at Southampton University Hospital from 1987-2002 and was elected as President of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons from 1998-2000. Latterly he was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor.

Sadly his wife Susan predeceased him early this year. The Association sends its condolences to his three sons and seven grandchildren.

Sadly the death is announced of Les Harlow on the 9^th November 2020, aged 99.

Les was at school from 1934-1939. He played rugby and cricket for the school. In his final year Les was Captain of the 1^st XV, representing North Wales in the Welsh Trials and was Vice-Captain of the 1^st X1. He was a WW2 RAF Lancaster pilot also Chief pilot with British Airways until retirement. Ex-Captain of Veterans at Sidmouth Golf Club.

A private funeral service will be held on the 25^th November 2020.

We send our sincere condolences to his family.

Sadly the death is announced of Sir Peter Gilmour Noto Badge on the 29^th October 2020, aged 88.

Peter was at school from 1941-1950. He played rugby and cricket for the school. He was an accomplished track athlete and outstanding distance runner. Peter was Head Boy and Captain of the 1^st XV in 1946.

After leaving school he read law at Liverpool University. He began his professional life as a prosecuting solicitor with New Scotland Yard. Peter handled the committal to trial of Rosemary West on ten charges of murder. He was also Chief Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate.

Upon retirement he moved to Devon. He was the founding Chairman and later President of the Coracle Society and author of 'Coracle of the World' 2009.

Peter was a staunch supporter and active member of the ORA serving as its President from 2008-2011.

We send our sincere condolences to Lady Mary Badge and her family.

The death is announced of Bill (Frederick William) Strange on the 28^th June 2020, aged 90, after a short illness.

He taught English Language / Literature at Ruthin in the early 60s.

A private funeral service was held at Aberystwyth Crematorium.

Sadly we announce the untimely death of David A. Simpkins on the 3^rd April 2020, aged 51.

David and his twin brother Derek were at Ruthin from 1980-1987. They were members of Lord Kenyon House. David gained his full colours whilst Captain of the most successful 1^st XV in the history of the school. His other interests were mountain climbing and abseiling. School holidays were mainly spent with his parents in Botswana.

After leaving school he attended Crewe and Alsager College gaining a degree in Sports Science. David played rugby for Manchester Rugby Club and Cheshire R.F.U. He was a prolific golfer and always supported the ORA in their golf tournaments.

David was practice manager at his wife Angela's Dental Practice, they have two children Erinn and Flynn. He also has a son and daughter Richard and Emma from his first marriage.

We send our sincere condolences to his family.

Sadly the death is announced of David I.L.Jordan on the 26^th March 2020, aged 72.

David was at Ruthin from 1961-1966 and was a member of Bishop Wynne House. He was Head Boy and an Under-Officer in the C.C.F. He played rugby for the 1^st XV. David enjoyed rock climbing in Snowdonia under the tutelage of Mike Hewer. After leaving school he joined the Territorial Army achieving the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration Medal by Her Majesty the Queen for 20 years of service.

We send our sincere condolences to his widow Frankie and his children Natalie and Nicholas.

Sadly the death is announced of Ian D. Robinshaw of Priorslee Telford Shropshire who passed away at home on the 25^th March 2020, aged 61, after a short illness.

Ian was at Ruthin from 1972 to 1975 and was a member of Bishop Wynne House.

A private funeral service was held in Telford.

Sadly the death is announced of Robert Griffiths on the 13^th January 2020, aged 70.

Robert was at school from 1959 to 1965. He was a member of Dean Goodman House. After leaving school he joined the Midland Bank. Robert left the bank after 20 years and became the Financial Services Director of 'Slaters of Abergele' arguably the largest Car Sales and Servicing business in North Wales at that time. He retired in 2012.

His funeral will be held at St. Asaph Crematorium on Thursday 30^th 2020 at 2.00 pm.

We send our sincere condolences to his widow June and his daughter Claire.