Page 51 - Hi Res - OR-2016

OBITUARIES 51

FR KEITH TOMLINSON IC ‘very interesting’,
but Keith himself
told me he liked
OLD RATCLIFFIAN 1947 - 1952 it very much.
SEPTEMBER 14TH 1935 - MAY 7TH 2016 Anyway, there he
is for posterity to
know him.
I am very pleased to be asked to say a few words about Fr Keith,
as a long-time friend and former colleague and, later, as one of Keith then went
his parishioners. It is just over fourteen weeks since many of us off to take up
were here to bid farewell to Fr Joe Mullen, another former parish parish work, and
priest, and I would like to offer my condolences to Fr Keith’s another interval
relatives, and also to his second family, the Rosminian Order, elapsed before
who have lost a brother and long-serving member of their family, I met him again.
too. He told me that
he hoped that he
When I first met him in the 1960s, Fr Keith was a young teacher might, one day, be
on the staff at Ratcliffe College, and he was then Br Keith, moved to Birstall,
looking forward to his ordination. He was also in charge of the as he thought that he would be happy working here, in an area
disciplinary side of part of the College and was regarded by that he knew quite well; at that time, though, it was no more than
some of the pupils (all boys in those days) as a rather fearsome a hope, so he was very pleased when this finally came about.
presence who didn’t suffer fools gladly; however, beneath the
stern outward appearance was a kindly man who was determined When he arrived here, some parishioners said, ‘He’s a bit odd,
to maintain standards. There are several survivors of that tough isn’t he?’, to which I said, ‘No, he’s different’, and gradually,
regime here with us today, who were used to the idea that you he settled in and became a familiar figure around Birstall and
had to thrash the wickedness out of the young to bring them to Rothley, too. He enjoyed the company of young people and
holiness. So, if you look around to find any men with a halo, you was pleased when he was asked to be a governor of Bishop Ellis
will see how effective that was. School and also, for a time, at English Martyrs School, having
previously been Chairman of Governors at a school elsewhere.
I got to know Keith quite well, along with many of the other I’m told that, when he was invited by a family here for a meal,
brethren who were either working as ordained priests or, like after he had left, their small daughter said, ‘Isn’t it nice to have
Keith, preparing for this. It was soon apparent that he had a a meal with God!’
rather offbeat sense of humour, and you had to judge what he
meant you to take seriously and what was entirely a joke. But There was, of course, the matter of his dress. Some visitors
he did enjoy a joke. I remember sharing a car trip home with and, indeed, members of other churches, might be forgiven
him one day from a celebration (I think at Westminster), when for thinking that baseball caps, trainers and baggy shorts were
we invented a ludicrous rustic game called Grunge Nurdling, the result of some post-Vatican II directive on priestly wear.
influenced heavily by the great Kenneth Williams; it was a sort of Seriously, though, Fr Keith told us that the trainers were much
cross between an episode of The Archers and a rather bad game more comfortable for his painful feet than shoes, and he did
of rugby, at which he laughed more than at any other time I can suffer badly from foot problems in his later years. I do, however,
recall, and for years afterwards, he would remind me of it. recall that once, on a visit by the Bishop to St Theresa’s, we
observed a pair of very nice black shoes peeping out from
Keith then left Ratcliffe to complete his training, whilst I went beneath his vestments. Well, his poor old feet will not be causing
off to the West Midlands for ten years and heard little of him. him pain in Heaven, bless him.
Then, by chance, I returned to Leicester to this Rosminian parish,
so it was inevitable that we would meet again. Fr Keith was the I played for him many times at weddings and funerals, and he
last priest from the Order to be appointed as Headmaster of was usually good at both, which he rightly viewed as a major part
Ratcliffe. I am not sure that he greatly enjoyed the role, though of his duties as a priest. However, he had a limited repertoire
he worked hard to make it a success and to oversee the transition of wedding jokes, which he recycled, and he often apologised
of the School from religious to lay management, still under the to me, as he knew how often I had heard them. If there are any
trusteeship of the Rosminians, as it remains today. among you today who were married by Keith, you will almost
certainly recall his starter: ‘Marriage is the union of two people,
On the walls of the Old Library at the College hang the portraits one of whom will work hard to provide for the household, protect
of many of the Headmasters and Presidents of Ratcliffe. They the other, do the repairs and make all of the most important
are all painted in a very traditional style, except for two – that of decisions; the other is called the husband.’
Tim Kilbride, the first lay Headmaster, who succeeded Fr Keith
and is shown in a very contemporary setting, and the portrait of When Keith heard last year that his Fr Provincial wished him to
Keith himself, by a very well-known artist. When it was unveiled, move to the Mother of God parish (no great distance from here),
it caused some astonishment and – it must be said – a certain he was a bit down at first, but came to realise that it was for the
degree of amusement in some quarters, for the unmistakeable best, given his deteriorating state of health and the fact that,
face appeared to have been attacked by some form of plague. there, he would be assisting the parish priest, Fr Paul, without
Opinions of the painting ranged from ‘awful’ and ‘a bit of a joke’ to all the burden of responsibility for the parish. Janet and I took

Register online at www.ratcliffianassociation.co.uk