Page 71 - Old Ratcliffian 2020 Edition

MICHAEL JOHN WRIGHT

FEBRUARY 12TH 1940 – SEPTEMBER 13TH 2020
OLD RATCLIFFIAN 1951 – 1958

always staying on top of everything he OBITUARIES
did. His paperwork and systems were first
class, and he always prepared extremely
diligently for his many sales trips, which
took him all around the world. He met royal
princes in Bangkok and ayatollahs in Iran.
Indeed, in the early 1980s, he literally saved
the jobs of the 2,000 people working at
Universal by securing an order from Iran
(not the easiest place to visit, even then)
for grinding wheels worth, in today’s
values, some £2,000,000!

Michael married Dianne, who supported
him in everything he did. Although he was
22 when he proposed to her, she was only
19, so they had to wait until she turned
21, at her parents’ request. Their first
child, Christopher, was born in 1966, and
Stephanie in 1968.

Michael was a devotee of music, either
played on the organ (which he learnt at
Ratcliffe, with guidance from Ray Guinea),
or using his wonderful bass voice in the
various choirs that he sang in throughout
his life. He was instrumental in founding
the Lydian Singers, as well as being a
longstanding member of the Chester
St Cecilia Singers. Michael must have
sung for literally thousands of people,
sometimes with an audience of 2,000, like
in the Abbey of Montserrat in Spain, and
sometimes in Blackburn Cathedral, with a
congregation of five! Two years ago, he was
elected as a fellow of the Guild of Musicians
Michael was a Lancastrian, and, like so carefree life (and, anyway, he had no real and Singers. In 2004, Pope John Paul II
many from that county, he excelled at all idea what he wanted to do). awarded him a Benemerenti medal to mark
sports – but more of that later. He went to his 50 years as a church organist.
Grace Dieu at the age of eight, and then, of Initially, Michael went to work in Lloyds
course, on to Ratcliffe. Although our years Bank in Manchester, but the appeal of Michael had many fond memories of
did not exactly coincide, we became great that to him was limited. However, his Ratcliffe, often drawing upon them to
friends, and even now, I can remember father was instrumental in setting him on relate to his grandchildren. One of his
being in the stands with him and his father, a career path that fitted him like a glove; stories included a night-time visit to the
watching his beloved Everton playing he was a director of Conveyancer Forklift “haunted library”. This was designed to
against Leicester City at Filbert Street. The Trucks, and he started Michael there in scare a small boy; however, in doing so, the
result is shrouded by the mystery of time, the sales department. The rest, as they others terrified themselves, when one of
I fear! say, was history, in that Michael’s career the white sheets in which they had dressed
in sales for differing companies was up caught in a chair, which fell over with a
Michael was a seriously gifted sportsman highly successful, primarily because of his loud bang!
who achieved his Colours in rugby, hockey, warm and generous personality. He could
and cricket. In the last-mentioned sport, literally sell you anything when he put his Michael died on September 13th while
he was known as the batsman who hit an mind to it. undergoing a heart operation, and he
almighty six and, in the process, smashed will be sorely missed. I remember him as a
the clock on the cricket pavilion! Michael travelled far and wide, including person whose company was never boring,
a long stint as the export director of the but a joy to experience.
Michael left Ratcliffe in 1958, declining to Stafford-based Universal Grinding Wheel
go to university. Having left home at the Company. As a colleague remarked at his Sir Anthony Holland (56)
age of eight, he wanted to enjoy a more funeral, Michael was a true professional, Friend

The Old Ratcliffian 2020 71