Page 51 - Old Ratcliffian 2020 Edition

A TRIBUTE TO DAVID THISTLETHWAITE (50)

We were extremely saddened to learn of the passing of David Thistlethwaite (50) in
May this year. As many of you may remember, David was the longest-serving Ratcliffi an
Association Secretary; his gratitude for his education at Ratcliffe drove him to ‘give back’ OR NEWS
to the school for so many years after he left. He left his mark on the College and all those
who knew him, and here we pay tribute to him through the memories of fellow ORs. This
tribute is extended in his obituary on pages 64 and 65.

The following is an excerpt from the 1990 Old Ratcliffi an, written by Fr Tony Baxter (38)
on David’s retirement: “This year, David retired as Secretary of the Ratcliffi an Association,
after over 20 years in offi ce. These have been years of most generous and effi cient
service, involving a great amount of work, mostly unseen, sometimes discouraging.
The Secretary’s task is an extremely important one: he is, with the Treasurer, the
person who knows most about the Association, who sees to the smooth running of
its affairs, and who keeps Old Ratcliffi ans in touch with one another and with the
school. David takes his place amongst those Old Ratcliffi ans who, over the years, have
given themselves so loyally and faithfully to the Association — such people as Ernest
Galliano (1913), Philip Tams (1924), George Meredith (1928), Roland Chamberlain
(1920) (to mention only a few) — but no one has been Association Secretary for
anything approaching 20 years. In his quiet way, David has been a tower of strength,
and it is largely due to him that the Association has fl ourished so well, and that the
Annual Reunion and Meeting have been run so smoothly for the past 20 years. In all
the time I had dealings with David as Secretary, I never remember a phone call to him
that did not elicit a ready and cheerful response, nor can I recall David ‘losing his
cool’ or being at a loss as to how to handle diffi cult situations when they arose. The
Association, the College, and the different Ratcliffe Presidents during his tenure of
offi ce owe an enormous debt of gratitude to David — and also to Audrey, who has shared his work and
has never grudged the time that he has given to Ratcliffe and its affairs. Ad multos annos vivant!”

David’s son, Mark Thistlethwaite (78): “Dad was always supportive and encouraging in many ways. You’ll remember those desk calendars
that have a tear-off ‘date-a-day’ with a clever saying. Well, in 1979, the year after I joined the Royal Navy, Dad sent me two daily calendar
messages: ‘25th January 1979: He that cannot obey cannot command’, and ‘26th January 1979: If you can give your son only one gift, let
it be enthusiasm’. He is still on my shoulder, encouraging me. He is the ultimate enthusiast!”

Development Director Andrew Yell (82): “David Thistlethwaite was a wonderful gentleman. He carried out the job of
Ratcliffi an Association Secretary for over 20 years, back in the days when it was a voluntary position – now, that is
devotion to the cause! He is probably also the single-most widely known OR of his generation because of that
role. He was instrumental in obtaining and installing the fi rst all-weather hockey pitch at Ratcliffe.
Most of my earlier recollections of ‘This’ were connected to his running of the OR hockey team
– fi rst of all, as the 1st XI captain, playing against them, and thereafter, playing for the Old
Boys against the school team. His passion for hockey was infectious, and if I remember
correctly, it was his determination, along with that of Fr Mike Waters (53), which
resulted in the artifi cial hockey pitch being laid on the grass oval in the middle of the
running track. He would never hear it called AstroTurf! ‘AstroTurf is a brand name,
and ours isn’t AstroTurf,’ he would often remind me. David was a great supporter
of the College, and we were very lucky to have such a lovely man representing the
Old Ratcliffi ans.”

Paul Rudd (60): “I was telephoned by David’s son, Mark, to be told that a ‘rock’ of
the Association had died. He then sent me a photo of the man I knew as ‘This’, and
the eulogy that he gave to a tiny team at his cremation. I was asked by Fr Tony
Baxter to join the Association Council in the late 1970s, and I was soon elevated
to become the youngest president. I attended all of the dinners, bar one. ‘This’
was invaluable, as he knew everyone, and he drummed up support from far and
wide to make sure that all of these events were well attended.”

In recognition of David’s exemplary service to the Ratcliffi an Association
during his many years in post as Secretary, a framed photograph
will be displayed in the new OR Bar, with words about his
contribution to Ratcliffe and the Association over the years. We
will choose a suitable place for him, where he can overlook
his all-weather hockey pitch.

The Old Ratcliffi an 2020 51