Page 33 - The Old Ratcliffian 2010

The Old Ratcliffan 2010 | Obituaries Another thing George forgot to mention in his pen portrait was with courage and patience. Jane also endured it with courage, his interest in railways and trains. Occasionally he would go patience and love. on an ‘away day’ for train rides with his close friends Fr Les I worked with George throughout the whole of his time at Slack and Jim Hibbert - Ratcliffe’s version of The Last of Ratcliffe, so I knew him principally as a fine teacher, a reliable the Summer Wine. If George’s dry humour made him Cleggy colleague and a friend. He was first and foremost, however, I leave it to others to work out who was Compo and who was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and a very good Foggy! Indeed one of George’s last outings was a family visit to Christian gentleman. I liked him a lot. St Pancras Station to see the renovated building and to enjoy a drink in the Champagne Bar. Incidentally, it wasn’t orange juice. The last word must be left to Pierre Castille, his friend, who wrote in Catena: ‘George had a high sense of duty and honour. George spent his last few months at Berrystead Nursing Home He did things properly, he made a difference. The next time in Syston and he died there on 8th March 2010. His funeral you enjoy a fine curry, particularly if it is accompanied by a was held in the Chapel at Ratcliffe. It was packed with family, good pint of bitter (George was particularly partial to Wells’ former colleagues, members of the Rutland and Melton Cancer Bombardier), give a thought to George, his family and his Support Group, fellow villagers and friends. Inside George’s friends. They miss him.’ coffin was the crucifix given to him when he was a novice monk and on top was a wreath in the colours of Leicester Tigers. I’m sure he is resting in peace. The opening prayer was said by the Vicar of Rearsby, and the reading by George’s friend, the Anglican vicar of Syston. The Peter Tickle principal celebrant at the Requiem Mass was Fr Tony Furlong, Former Director of Studies, Ratcliffe a former colleague at Ratcliffe. One cannot mention George without thinking of Jane. They had met in Dover when George was a serving officer and married there in 1963. George endured his long and debilitating illness Bernard Heffernan Old Ratcliffian 1969-1974 Sadly we lost Bernard in April of 2010 after a five year long battle with cancer. Those who were at Ratcliffe from 1969-1974 will remember him as an affable, easy going person who enjoyed his sport. He was well liked amongst both his peers and staff. He struggled with a form of dyslexia which made his academic progress difficult but he put in many long hours to achieve the best results that he could. Even though his efforts were not translated into high marks, his tutors could see that he was a ‘tryer’ and warmed to him. In his determined way, he took his English ‘O’ level three times, keen to succeed. Despite these setbacks he managed, whilst he was battling with cancer, to write a heart-warming book about his experiences and positive thinking surrounding his illness. Because of his relaxed manner, genuine charm and interest in other people, he made friends easily. This was a trait he carried on throughout his life. He was often drawn to the underdog as he felt he had a genuine empathy with them. I feel that this warm ability that Bernard had was nurtured well by the ethos that was taught by the Rosminians who were at Ratcliffe during his time there. On leaving Ratcliffe, Bernard had a number of jobs, many in the building trade; he was also a barman, gardener, plasterer, roofer, carpenter and bricklayer. A thousand bricks a day was no problem to Bernard as he was as strong as an ox and physically fit. He was not afraid of hard, unrelenting graft and he lived in all sorts of places. Indeed his car was often his accommodation! In his late teens and early twenties, over a ten year period, his work and wandering nature took him all over the place. He moved from Leicester to London, to Germany (Auf Wiedersehen Pet!), over to Ireland and back to London. After breaking many a heart on his travels, he met a girl, Julie, who he fell in love with, and when she went back to her native New Zealand, he followed her back to Auckland. They married and had two children, Briagh and Joseph, and Bernard never returned to the Northern Hemisphere again, except for holidays, weddings and the like. He loved New Zealand with its laid back ways and informal lifestyle. He bought land and built wooden houses, which he then sold. Bernard was never one for material things and whether his luck was up or down you could always count on him giving you the shirt off his back - that is, if he had one! He was well- loved and he left his mark on all those he met. He never held any Register online www.ratcliffanassociation.co.uk