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Roy Andrew Quinlan

1930-2008

At school Roy was Head Prefect, gained his colours at Rugby, Hockey and Cricket and Captained the Cricket and Hockey teams. In the 1947 cricket season he took 47 wickets and in 1948 with G A Warner (R 44-49) formed ‘the best pair of opening bowlers for many years’ taking 40 wickets each. That summer he played for the Rest of Middlesex and the Young Amateurs. Roy continued to play cricket to a high standard after he left school, playing for the Royal Engineers v Royal Artillery at Lords (being mentioned in the Times for doing the ‘lions share of the bowling’). But it was at hockey that he really excelled, being close to the highest of standards, by playing for the Royal Engineers, the Army and the Combined Services which he captained.

He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1951 and then completed a degree course (BSc., University of London) at the Royal Military College, Shrivenham. There followed a succession of military postings to Christmas Island, to the War Office, Washington, Staff College, Aden and then back to the War Office. 1968 found Roy and the family in Hamelin, Germany where he commanded a squadron in the 35 Corps Engineer Regiment. One task he found for his squadron was an exercise removing boulders from the ski slopes in the Harz Mountains!

Promoted to Lt. Col. in 1970 he became an instructor at the School of Infantry in Warminster. It was now that he and his family moved from army quarters into their own house and, with the help of Susan, did all the renovations and built an extension. Already a good carpenter, Roy now became proficient in brick laying, plastering and decorating. In 1973 Roy moved to Chatham as G.S.O.1 in the Royal Engineers Training and Development Team where he bought another house which he and Susan renovated. He retired from the Army in 1978 and became Training and Personnel Manager for Mann Egerton in Norwich. In 1984 he and Susan moved back to Wiltshire where he expanded his love of carpentry by designing and fitting bespoke kitchens (Roy Quinlan Country Kitchens).

His fitness and athleticism were demonstrated when he took up wind surfing at the age of 54 and he remained active – skiing and windsurfing – until prevented from doing so by his worsening health which was eventually diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.

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