Richard Croucher

I was very sorry to hear of Ric’s death from his younger brother Phil.

I hadn’t actually seen Ric for about 55 years! We were at boarding school together near Ipswich in the 1960s. This was the Royal Hospital School, a school for the sons of Royal Navy personnel; Ric and I were in Drake House, as was Phil. I was three years younger than Ric, so a sprog in his eyes. As in all boys boarding schools in those days, discipline was severe but this was a naval boarding school, so it was even harsher. Most of the discipline was carried out by the senior boys in the house, known as ‘Badge Boys,’ or ‘petty officers’ in naval parlance. Ric was a badge boy. Most badge boys allowed the power to go to their heads, but Ric never did. He was always fair, relaxed and with a dry sense of humour, showing maturity beyond his years. He knew I was from Liverpool and he would often pull my leg about that, but never in a malicious way. One of my memories of his fairness was in the school dining hall. Each house had 60 boys, ages ranging from 11 to 18. Each house was allocated three long tables, so 20 to each. The badge boys served the food at the top of the table. Most were not at all fair in how that was proportioned, so the poor lads at the bottom of the table tended to be the skinniest! But Ric was never like that; he was always scrupulously fair.

Reading peoples’ eulogies of Ric I can see there is a common thread: his intelligence, dedication, interest in people and his sense of humour. He had those qualities in his early life at boarding school.  I can also see that in his working life he was prepared to fight and go against the grain; perhaps that was a characteristic he developed at boarding school.

It was a privilege knowing Ric, even if it was such a long time ago, and my thoughts are with Phil and all of Ric’s family.

Tim Redmond

Walton On Thames,

Surrey.